FAO Chief Scientist discusses One Health collaboration with WOAH Director-General

During her visit to Brussels, FAO Chief Scientist Ismahane Elouafi met World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Director General Monique Eloit. The Chief Scientist was accompanied by the Director of the Office of Strategy, Programme and Budget and Acting Director of the Office of Innovation Beth Crawford, FAO’s Chief Veterinary Officer Keith Sumption, and the Director of FAO’s Liaison Office in Brussels, Raschad Al-Khafaji.

The talks focused on the Quadripartite collaboration on One Health including the One Health Joint Plans of Action (OH JPA). The Quadripartite, consisting of FAO, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and WOAH, supports global governance of One Health and fosters comprehensive strategies at country level.

FAO has longstanding experience in One Health with its work on zoonotic diseases, food safety and antimicrobial resistance. Important efforts are ongoing to broaden this scope and mainstream One Health across agrifood systems, spanning multiple sectors and disciplines including biodiversity, biosecurity, soil and microbiome health as well as water quality and safety. The broadening and mainstreaming of One Health across the agrifood system domain helps build sustainable food systems to improve food security and reduce global health security risks.

You can read more on FAO’s work on one health here.

You can read more on the Quadripartite here.