A Survey on One Health Approach in Colombia and Some Latin American Countries: From a Fragmented Health Organization to an Integrated Health Response to Global Challenges

The “One Health” (OH) approach has been recognized by world health authorities such as FAO/OIE/WHO, advocating for effective, multi-sectoral, and transdisciplinary collaboration. However, there is a lack of published evidence of the awareness of the OH concept in Colombia and other countries in the Latin American Region. In order to explore existing collaboration amongst the animal health, human-public health, environmental health sectors, and to describe the perception, knowledge, and barriers on OH in Colombia and other countries of Latin America, an online questionnaire-based survey was distributed among key professionals representing the three OH pillars (August 2018–August 2020). Overall, 76 key respondents from 13 countries (Colombia, México, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Perú, Guatemala, Nicaragua Uruguay, and Venezuela) completed the questionnaire. Respondents worked in institutions of animal (59%), public (20%), human (7%), and environmental health (7%); they mainly belonged to higher academic institutions (59%), followed by ministries (11%), and research organizations (9%). Most participants (92%) were familiar with the OH term and 68% were aware of the formal cooperation among sectors in their countries, mostly on zoonoses; in 46% of the cases, such connections were established in the last 5 years. The main reported limiting factors to intersectorality were the lack of commitment of policy-makers, resources, and budget for OH (38%) and the “siloed approach” of sectors and disciplines (34%). Respondents ranked a median score of 3.0 (1–5 scoring) in how good OH activities are implemented in their countries, and a median score of 2.0 in the citizen awareness on OH as regards their countries. The most important OH issues were identified in vector-borne diseases, rabies, wrong and/or improper use of antimicrobials, emerging viral diseases, food-borne diseases, neglected parasitic diseases, deforestation, and ecosystem fragmentation. Although there is a high-perceived importance on conjoint cooperation, OH implementation, and operationalization remain weak, and the environmental component is not well-integrated. We consider that integration and implementation of the OH Approach can support countries to improve their health policies and health governance as well as to advocate the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the Region

Epidemiología de la rabia canina en colombia

Objetivo Se realizó un estudio epidemiológico ecológico para describir la tendencia de la rabia canina desde 1976-2006 y explorar posibles factores relacionados con su presentación en Colombia, Metodología Las variables fueron recolectadas mediante un cuestionario aplicado a los responsables del programa en cada departamento y  mediante fuentes de información oficiales nacionales. Se calculó la incidencia de la rabia canina entre 2001-2006. Se emplearon razones de tasas de incidencia y pruebas de correlación de Spearman. Resultados La tasa de incidencia de rabia canina estimada es de 0,4 casos de rabia por 100 000 perros-año. El promedio de las coberturas de vacunación nacionales 1994-2005 fluctuó entre  45 % y 63 %. Las principales asociaciones con rabia canina fueron: mayor porcentaje de la población urbana, mayores coberturas de vacunación, ausencia de red de frío propia, no participación del coordinador en el Comité Vigilancia Epidemiológica, ausencia de mapa epidemiológico, ausencia de laboratorio diagnóstico, ausencia de recurso humano adecuado, ausencia de centro de zoonosis, periodicidad del análisis de situación epidemiológica, expulsión de población humana por violencia. Conclusiones La rabia canina se ha controlado exitosamente, sin embargo es importante fortalecer el sistema de vigilancia epidemiológica activa para ratificar el descenso de la enfermedad. Los resultados encontrados permiten referir que en ausencia de las variables significativas encontradas se espera que ocurran casi la mitad de los casos en la población. Se sugiere también que la situación de violencia del país puede estar influyendo en la relación hombre-perro-reservorios silvestres y ocurrencia de la rabia

Developing One Health surveillance systems

The health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the environment are inter-dependent. Global anthropogenic change is a key driver of disease emergence and spread and leads to biodiversity loss and ecosystem function degradation, which are themselves drivers of disease emergence. Pathogen spill-over events and subsequent disease outbreaks, including pandemics, in humans, animals and plants may arise when factors driving disease emergence and spread converge. One Health is an integrated approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize human, animal and ecosystem health. Conventional disease surveillance has been siloed by sectors, with separate systems addressing the health of humans, domestic animals, cultivated plants, wildlife and the environment. One Health surveillance should include integrated surveillance for known and unknown pathogens, but combined with this more traditional disease-based surveillance, it also must include surveillance of drivers of disease emergence to improve prevention and mitigation of spill-over events. Here, we outline such an approach, including the characteristics and components required to overcome barriers and to optimize an integrated One Health surveillance system.</p

Developing One Health surveillance systems

The health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the environment are inter-dependent. Global anthropogenic change is a key driver of disease emergence and spread and leads to biodiversity loss and ecosystem function degradation, which are themselves drivers of disease emergence. Pathogen spill-over events and subsequent disease outbreaks, including pandemics, in humans, animals and plants may arise when factors driving disease emergence and spread converge. One Health is an integrated approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize human, animal and ecosystem health. Conventional disease surveillance has been siloed by sectors, with separate systems addressing the health of humans, domestic animals, cultivated plants, wildlife and the environment. One Health surveillance should include integrated surveillance for known and unknown pathogens, but combined with this more traditional disease-based surveillance, it also must include surveillance of drivers of disease emergence to improve prevention and mitigation of spill-over events. Here, we outline such an approach, including the characteristics and components required to overcome barriers and to optimize an integrated One Health surveillance system

One Health : a new definition for a sustainable and healthy future

No abstract available.http://www.plospathogens.orgdm2022Medical Virolog

DOCUMENTO POLÍTICO. Sobre el enfoque One Health y su necesaria transversalización en las políticas de Estado

Este documento de política, presenta un llamado urgente para que Colombia, un país bio- culturalmente diverso y el segundo país más desigual de la Región, genere una política nacional basada en el abordaje Una Salud. Consideramos que el abordaje Una Salud debe ser un mandato y un enfoque orientador para ayudar a articular las visiones de los Ministerios involucrados con la promoción de la salud, la prevención de la enfermedad, desarrollo sostenible y la equidad, para de esta manera integrar y potenciar los resultados de los esfuerzos multisectoriales.This policy document presents an urgent call for Colombia, a bioculturally diverse country and the second most unequal country in the Region, to generate a national policy based on the One Health approach. We believe that the One Health approach should be a mandate and a guiding approach to help articulate the visions of the Ministries involved in health promotion, disease prevention, sustainable development and equity, in order to integrate and enhance the results of multisectoral efforts