For many, global public health seems like an abstract and distant problem – until the Ebola virus is diagnosed among people in our midst. Though no one would call the Ebola pandemic a good thing, it has presented an opportunity for scientists to alert the public about the dire need to halt the spread of infectious diseases, especially in developing and densely populated areas of the world.
“What often seems like an abstract notion becomes very concrete when a deadly virus previously contained in Western Africa infects people on American soil,” says Wondwossen Gebreyes, professor of veterinary preventive medicine at Ohio State University. “It does create a certain sense of urgency and awareness that this world is much smaller than we think.”
Gebreyes is the lead author of an article published in the Nov. 13, 2014 issue of PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases that makes the case for accelerating efforts to put “One Health” into action. One Health refers to a strategy to more fully understand and address the links between animal health, human health and the environment.
The paper emphasizes the danger of zoonotic infections – those transmitted from animals to humans – and the staggering damage they do, especially in developing nations that lack a variety of resources. These diseases don’t just kill people, but they cause tremendous economic harm in a variety of ways: killing livestock, reducing the ranks of qualified health and education providers, creating political unrest and stopping development in its tracks.
There is an urgent need for progress. Approximately 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases are those transmitted from animals to humans, and the world is on pace to experience at least one deadly disease outbreak each year.
Gebreyes cited the current Ebola epidemic and the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic as “stark reminders of the unpredictable nature of pathogens and the importance of animals in the ecology and emergence of viral strains.” Evidence suggests that bats were the original carriers of the strains of Ebola that sicken humans, and pigs were the source of the 2009 flu.
“To attain a true One Health approach, we need broad recognition of the interconnectivity among the health of humans, domestic or wild animals and the environment, which are all closely linked by the pathogens that they share,” he says.
At the heart of the effort to adopt One Health globally, and particularly in developing areas, proponents agree, is the need to build capacity – of skilled personnel, laboratories for disease diagnostics and testing, educators to perform training, and technologies that enable far-reaching and coordinated pathogen reporting and surveillance systems.
Ohio State is doing its part. Gebreyes has spearheaded a partnership between the university and academic institutions and service agencies in Ethiopia designed to create sustainable collaborations in teaching, research and outreach by embracing the principles of One Health. Three issues have topped the agenda to date: improved screening and treatment for cervical cancer; a roadmap for the prevention and control of rabies as a model for the One Health platform; and improvements in environmental health, food safety and food security.
“Rabies is the year-round Ebola of Ethiopia, as it regularly kills people – particularly the young. It is 100 percent fatal if interventions such as vaccines and awareness are not implemented,” Gebreyes notes. “We consider this partnership a model for how to build effective, sustainable capacity.”
A worldwide initiative also exists: The International Congress on Pathogens at the Human Animal Interface has convened twice, with the third meeting scheduled for August 2015 in Thailand. But while the congress delegates address the big picture, they recognize the need for grassroots recruitment of scientists and policymakers in higher education, government agencies and nongovernment organizations – plus farmers, health care providers and ecologists – to create measurable change on a global level, Gebreyes says.
For global One Health to be implemented effectively and widely adopted, the risks associated with emerging infectious diseases need to be quantified, and the capacity needs and available resources must be assessed, Gebreyes said. World health organizations provide guidelines for quality control systems, but they aren’t necessarily applicable to fit developing regions’ needs and are not systematically applied in low-resource settings, he says.
With that in mind, the congress has identified four priority areas for capacity-building, primarily in low-resource settings:
• Development of adequate science-based risk-management policies
• Growth of skilled One Health personnel
• Environmental and clinical diagnostic labs with a shared database, and
• Improved use of existing natural resources.
“These are recommendations. The congress delegates recognize that it’s impossible to take a ‘one size fits all’ approach,” Gebreyes says.
Gebreyes co-authored the paper with representatives of Ohio State, Paris Descartes University, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Federal University of Paraiba, Kenya Medical Research Institute, University of Montreal, Sokoine University of Agriculture, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Elanco Animal Health, Chiang Mai University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Ministry of Public Health in Thailand.
Source: Ohio State University
Dear Helpdesk: Working in a Toxic Health Care Environment
March 28th 2024Dear Helpdesk is your steadfast companion, offering life coaching and workplace advice from 2 seasoned IPs for some of your most challenging real-life situations. Let us help you navigate the intersection between work and life, guiding you to navigate the dynamic world of infection prevention with confidence and grace. This article is on handling a toxic health care environment.
Product Locator: Spring and Early Mother's Day Gift Guide for Infection Prevention Personnel
March 27th 2024Whether it's a spring holiday, birthdays, or no reason at all, infection prevention personnel love to give and receive gifts that help at the end of a stressful day. Infection Control Today® offers some gift ideas for infection prevention personnel and their families.
Catching Up With Vangie Dennis, AORN 2022-2023 President at AORN 2024
March 26th 2024Infection Control Today (ICT) had the privilege of catching up with Vangie Dennis, MSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN’s) International Surgical Conference & Expo 2024. As the former president of AORN and an esteemed figure in perioperative services, Vangie Dennis shared insights into her recent endeavors and the exciting new chapter she's embarked upon.
How To Optimize Your Time Management Strategies for the Busy Infection Preventionist
March 25th 2024Is your calendar resembling a chaotic masterpiece of overlapping tasks? Join the club of infection preventionists striving to balance responsibilities. Dive into proven strategies from a fellow infection preventionist to reclaim control of your time, streamline tasks, and boost productivity effectively. This is an IP Lifeline article.