The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has called on the Ministers of Health, Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources to support resource mobilization and budget line for the operationalization of the One Health approach in their ministries.
The Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Ifedayo Adetifa, made the call Friday in Abuja during the inaugural meeting of the National One Health Technical Steering Committee and the commemoration of the 2023 One Health Day.
He said, “One Health is a collaborative, multi-sectoral and trans-disciplinary approach working at local, regional, national and global levels to achieve optimal health outcomes by recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants and their shared environment.”
He noted that the importance of One Health cannot be overstated, stressing that the world faces complex and interrelated health challenges, ranging from zoonotic diseases to antimicrobial resistance and the overarching threat of climate change.
He added that these issues know no borders, and impact not only human health but also the wellbeing of animals and the environment, pointing out that to address them effectively, Nigerians must adopt a collaborative and holistic approach.
The Director General then called on them to support optimal optimization and interoperability of preparedness and response systems, including joint surveillance, across humans, animals, and environments, as well as risk assessments and responses to One Health challenges.
