On Nov. 3 experts around the world working in animal, human and environmental health will be celebrating One Health Day to educate the public about the benefits of a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to the prevention, detection and response to public health threats. The One Health approach has made significant advances in addressing a wide range of public health concerns, including antimicrobial resistance, food safety, vector-borne and zoonotic diseases as well as COVID-19.
To recognize the significance of One Health Day and the experts working on a global scale to prevent the next pandemic, the Ohio State Global One Health initiative (GOHi) has organized a panel discussion, “What’s Next: Reimagining One Health Beyond the Pandemic,” which will be held virtually and in person at the Veterinary Medical Center Auditorium on Nov. 3 from 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. EDT. Ohio State experts participating include: Michael Bisesi, College of Public Health, Sharon Santoso Clark, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, Rebecca Garabed, College of Veterinary Medicine and Dónal O'Mathúna, College of Nursing, as well as Rafael Felipe da Costa Vieira, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná.
For more than a decade, GOHi has been at the forefront of One Health implementation, mobilizing faculty, staff and students from 13 colleges, to improve health, build capacity, address the spread of disease and emphasize the connection among humans, animals and the environment in Ohio and around the world.
“The Global One Health paradigm is a proactive approach that builds institutional capacity to preemptively prepare and prevent the emergence and occurrence of biological and chemical hazards. Such a proactive approach is known to be cost-effective and will save a large number of human lives and improve livelihoods each year,” said Wondwossen Gebreyes, GOHi executive director. “Our priority is to strengthen and accelerate its high-impact, integrated capacity building approach through training, applied research, implementation, outreach and community engagement. This has mutually beneficial impact as solving our planet’s complex challenges necessitate it.”
As a result of GOHi’s many initiatives and advancements in the area of One Health and the growing interest and acknowledgement of the importance of One Health worldwide, Gebreyes regularly serves on international committees, advisory groups, and presents at universities. His involvement in One Health spans the globe and he currently serves as chair of the USAID One Health Workforce External Advisory Board, is a member of the Countering Zoonotic Spillover Committee of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and later this month will participate in the World One Health Congress in Singapore.
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