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FAO supports a Two-Day Workshop in Kumasi to Cement Ghana's One Health Agenda

Under the leadership of the One Health Technical Working Group (OH TWG) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) through its Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), Ghana is hosting a two-day workshop to endorse the Ghana One Health Profile Report and finalize the One Health Policy Brief. This workshop is jointly funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) through the Sustainable Operationalization of One Health in the Africa region project and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Health Security (GHS) Program, both implemented by the FAO.

Background

Over the past decade, Ghana has made significant strides in institutionalizing and operationalizing One Health. The One Health Technical Working Group (OH TWG), established in 2018 and coordinated by the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), serves as the coordinating body for all One Health initiatives at the national level. Efforts to streamline One Health implementation have included the ongoing development of a One Health Policy since 2020, alongside various interventions addressing preparedness, prevention, detection, and response to threats such as zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance.

In June 2023, under the leadership of the OH TWG, the Ghana One Health Profiling workshop was held in Koforidua, involving all sectors in the National One Health Platform and partners. The results identified gaps and priority areas and the need to increase domestic resource mobilization to sustain One Health's achievements. A report and a One Health policy brief were prepared from the profiling exercise and now await endorsement by the National One Health Platform – the OH TWG. This brief aims to serve as an advocacy material to mobilize increased domestic and partner investment for One Health implementation.

Key Outputs

The overall objective of the workshop was to review, validate, and adopt the Ghana One Health Profile Report and Policy Brief. Specific objectives include the endorsement of the Ghana One Health Profile Report, the review and finalization of the One Health Policy Brief, and discussing strategies for endorsing the Ghana One Health Policy. A total of 49 participants attended, including representatives from the health sector, livestock/agriculture sector, environment sector, wildlife/natural resource management, academia, partners and the National One Health Platform Secretariat/Technical Coordination.

During the opening remarks, I. K. Acheampong, representative of the Hon Regional Minister for Ashanti Region stated” This workshop is a significant milestone in the One Health approach and the well-being of our nation.” FAO representative, Garba Ahmed FAO-ECTAD Ghana Country Team Leader, emphasised that "FAO is dedicated to advancing the One Health agenda in Ghana. Through collaboration with partners like DTRA and USAID GHS Program, we're endorsing the Ghana One Health Profile Report and finalizing the Policy Brief. This workshop in Kumasi marks a crucial step in enhancing Ghana's capacity to tackle health challenges at the human-animal-environment interface."

As the global population continues to increase rapidly, the interactions between different species of animals have amplified, leading to the emergence of zoonotic pathogens. The majority of public health events worldwide are now attributed to emerging and re-emerging infectious disease threats, resulting in significant economic and social impacts. To address this burden and the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), multi-sectoral collaboration through the One Health (OH) approach is imperative.