One Health

Human health, animal health and the environment are closely interconnected as some diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food-safety hazards and other health risks move between animals, people, food-production systems and the wider environment. The One Health concept provides an integrated approach to these risks by bringing together the different disciplines, institutions and control systems involved.

For Food Control Consultants Ltd (FCC), One Health is not a separate activity operating in isolation. It is an approach that underpins much of our work in animal health, veterinary public health, food safety and official controls.

Connecting Human, Animal and Environmental Health

Many important health risks cannot be effectively understood or controlled from the perspective of a single sector.  Animal diseases may affect human health and foodborne hazards can originate at farm level and move throughout production, processing and distribution. The same antimicrobial might be in use in animals and humans which contributes to the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Environmental contamination can affect animals, food production and people.

A One Health approach considers the connections between, human, animal and veterinary public health, food safety, animal production and wildlife as well as antimicrobial use and resistance and the environment.

The objective is not simply greater cooperation between sectors, but better prevention, surveillance, risk assessment and control through coordinated action.

One Health and Veterinary Public Health

Veterinary public health has always operated at the interface between animals, food and human health. Veterinary services contribute to the protection of public health through activities including:

• surveillance, prevention, control of zoonotic diseases;
• meat inspection – preferably risk based;
• controls of establishments handling food of animal origin;
• monitoring of residues and contaminants;
• control of veterinary medicinal products;
• antimicrobial-resistance programmes;
• animal identification and traceability;
• laboratory diagnosis and surveillance (e.g. systematic anti-biograms); and
• veterinary border controls, both life animals and food of animal origin.

One Health strengthens the links between these activities and the corresponding responsibilities of public-health, food-safety and environmental authorities.

Zoonoses

Diseases transmitted between animals and humans are among the clearest examples of the need for a One Health approach. Effective prevention and control may require information from farms, veterinary services, laboratories, food-control authorities, public-health surveillance and environmental monitoring.

FCC can assist with the assessment and development of systems for:

• zoonotic-disease surveillance;
• notification and reporting;
• investigation of outbreaks;
• coordination between authorities;
• laboratory support;
• information exchange;
• traceability;
• control measures; and
• legislation and implementing procedures.

The objective is to create systems in which information can move effectively between sectors and lead to coordinated action.

Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major One Health challenge.

Antimicrobials are used in both human and veterinary medicine, while resistant microorganisms and resistance genes can move between people, animals, food and the environment.

Addressing AMR therefore requires coordinated action involving human medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture, food production and environmental protection.

FCC’s work can contribute to One Health AMR programmes through areas including:

• regulation and responsible use of veterinary medicinal products;
• surveillance of antimicrobial use;
• monitoring of antimicrobial resistance;
• food-chain surveillance;
• laboratory capacity;
• veterinary and food legislation;
• official controls;
• training and awareness; and
• development of coordinated national control systems.

For more information on AMR, see here

Food Safety – From Farm to Consumer

Food safety is inherently a One Health issue.

Hazards entering the food chain during primary production may subsequently affect processors, retailers and consumers. Effective food-control systems therefore need to consider the complete chain rather than concentrating only on the final product.

This can involve:

Feed and Primary Production → Animal Health → Slaughter or Harvest → Processing → Distribution → Consumer

Surveillance, traceability and communication throughout this chain allow risks to be identified earlier and controlled closer to their source.

FCC’s work with both competent authorities and food businesses enables food-safety requirements to be considered across this complete production and control system.

Surveillance and Information Sharing

One Health depends on the ability of different authorities and disciplines to share and interpret information. Animal-health surveillance may provide early warning of risks to people. Human disease surveillance may identify problems originating in animals or food. Laboratory findings can reveal emerging pathogens or antimicrobial resistance. Food inspection and monitoring may identify hazards requiring action further back in the production chain.

Effective systems therefore require appropriate arrangements for:

• data collection;
• disease and hazard notification;
• laboratory reporting;
• information exchange;
• joint risk assessment;
• trace-back and trace-forward;
• coordinated investigation; and
• communication between competent authorities.

FCC can assist in assessing existing information flows and developing practical systems for better coordination.

Laboratories and One Health

Laboratories are fundamental to One Health surveillance and response.

Veterinary, food and public-health laboratories may each hold information relevant to the same disease or hazard. Coordination between laboratory systems can improve detection, surveillance, investigation and understanding of emerging risks.

FCC can support laboratory systems in areas including quality management, diagnostic and analytical capacity, methods, surveillance programmes and coordination with competent authorities.

Legislation and Institutional Responsibilities

A One Health approach often involves several ministries, competent authorities and professional disciplines.

Legislation and institutional arrangements therefore need to define responsibilities clearly while allowing effective cooperation and exchange of information.

FCC can assist governments in reviewing:

• institutional responsibilities;
• veterinary and animal-health legislation;
• food-safety legislation;
• veterinary medicinal-product controls;
• surveillance and notification requirements;
• information-sharing arrangements;
• emergency responsibilities; and
• coordination between competent authorities.

Where gaps or overlaps exist, FCC can assist with development of legislation, procedures and institutional arrangements to support more effective implementation.

Preparedness and Emerging Health Threats

Emerging diseases demonstrate how rapidly risks can move between animals, people and countries.

Changes in animal production, international trade, travel, wildlife interactions, climate and ecosystems can alter disease patterns and create new pathways for transmission.

Preparedness therefore requires systems capable of:

Early Detection → Information Sharing → Risk Assessment → Coordinated Response → Control → Review

FCC can assist with assessment of preparedness and response arrangements, contingency planning, disease-control systems, veterinary capacity, border controls, traceability and related legislation.

One Health in Practice

One Health is most effective when it moves beyond policy statements and becomes part of the way institutions actually work.

This requires clear responsibilities, effective communication, compatible surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, trained personnel and practical procedures for coordinated action.

FCC’s multidisciplinary experience allows One Health principles to be incorporated into work involving:

• animal-health and veterinary services;
• veterinary public health;
• food safety and official controls;
• zoonoses;
• antimicrobial resistance;
• laboratories;
• animal identification and traceability;
• veterinary medicinal products and residues;
• food-production establishments;
• veterinary border controls;
• legislation and regulatory systems; and
• training and institutional capacity building.

An Integrated Approach

The One Health principle reflects an important reality: human health, animal health, food safety and environmental health cannot always be protected independently of one another.

FCC supports the development of practical systems that connect these areas through:

Prevention → Surveillance → Detection → Information Sharing → Risk Assessment → Coordinated Control

Our emphasis is on translating the One Health concept into effective legislation, institutions, surveillance, official controls and practical implementation.

Contact FCC

Contact Food Control Consultants Ltd to discuss assistance with One Health programmes, zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance, veterinary public health, surveillance systems, institutional coordination, legislation, capacity building and related food and animal-health control systems.