How we work

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) has been working with Member States to strengthen the capacities of their animal health sectors since 2004. FAO ECTAD continues to support countries to reduce the risk of animal health threats that can devastate livelihoods and threaten food security. By building countries capacities to prevent, detect and respond to these threats, FAO ECTAD plays an essential role in protecting the health of people and animals, and safeguarding farmers' livelihoods, economies, and food security.

 

The One Health approach

The health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment. The One Health approach recognizes that the emergence of infectious diseases and pandemic threats is influenced by multiple factors including medical, behavioural, climatic, social, and economic elements. The approach thus encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration – locally, nationally, and globally.

In March 2022, four international agencies – FAO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), signed a groundbreaking agreement to strengthen cooperation to sustainably balance and optimize the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment. This partnership extended the former Tripartite (FAO, WHO and WOAH) and marked a new era of One Health collaboration.

The Quadripartite agencies have partnered to address the major health and economic impacts of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases at the animal-human-environment interface. Through FAO’s work to increase nutrition security, improve agricultural productivity, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the growth of the world economy, there is increasing recognition that the improvement of global health security and food security form twin objectives.

 

Public-private partnerships

FAO ECTAD values continuous support from resource and implementing partners. Our strength lies in the unwavering, long-term, collaborative partnerships formed with many and varied stakeholders at the national, regional, and global levels. Effective control of transboundary animal diseases requires a unified approach between the private and public sectors. FAO facilitates knowledge sharing between the private and public sectors, from farmers to traders and from extension officers to lab technicians, while also undertaking activities to enhance opportunities for private sector engagement.

Partnerships are integral to our mandate to enhance global health security. FAO seeks to expand its collaboration with resource partners, the private sector, regional organizations and other entities to continue and expand its contribution in tackling diseases at the source, ensuring food safety and security and protecting livelihoods.