The Central Asian Animal Health Network (CAAHN) convened on 8−9 June for its third meeting since its establishment in 2019 in the historical city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to delve into the future of animal health and the One Health approach within the region. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Sub-Regional Representation for Central Asia, the workshop brought together representatives from the veterinary services of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and major international players in the region, including USAID and the World Bank.

The primary work of the CAAHN network is to address zoonotic diseases – those illnesses that can be transmitted between species animals to humans, such as brucellosis, echinococcosis, anthrax, and tuberculosis. To be controlled, zoonoses and transboundary diseases require a multifaceted, multi-sectoral response, as delivered by One Health.

One Health is an integrated approach that aims to sustainably balance the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. The network promotes One Health as a way to prevent and mitigate transboundary, zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance at the human-animal-plant interfaces.

“Perhaps most importantly, the network is crucial in streamlining and coordinating initiatives and projects related to animal health and One Health in Central Asia, which avoids duplication and overlapping efforts by international agencies and countries,” commented Daniel Beltrán-Alcrudo, Technical Advisor on Animal Health.