Strategic Framework and Action Plan for the Application of a One Health Approach in Bangladesh (2017 – 2021).

This Strategic Framework provides direction for the strengthening of a One Health approach to preventing and controlling emerging and high-impact infectious diseases and health conditions, and an action plan is added to the framework that describes how to move forward. The vision that guides the One Health approach in Bangladesh is: The consequences of emerging and high impact diseases and health conditions/hazards are minimized through institutionalizing the One Health approach by contributing to food security, food safety, and a healthy population in thriving ecosystems.
One Health is defined by the One Health Commission as “the collaborative effort of multiple disciplines to obtain optimal health for people, animals, and our environment”. One Health promotes the communication and collaboration among physicians, veterinarians, wildlife experts and environmental health professionals in order to improve the health and well-being of all species. Initially, zoonoses comprised the primary focus of One Health movement but the scope has broadened to include other aspects of public health such as antimicrobial resistance, food safety and security as well as non-communicable diseases like liver carcinoma due to afla toxicosis.
The framework identified seven components for undertaking various activities involving relevant stakeholders, namely: 1. Institutional Governance and Programme Management; 2. Coordinated Surveillance; 3. Coordinated Outbreak Investigation and Response; 4. Transdisciplinary Research; 5. Networking and Partnerships; 6. Strategic Communication and Advocacy; 7: Capacity Building. Outcomes to be achieved are identified, including: 1. Sustained Institutional arrangements for One Health approach; 2. Coordinated surveillance for priority zoonotic diseases and conditions; 3. Coordinated outbreak investigation and response for priority zoonotic diseases and conditions through one health approach; 4. Transdisciplinary research provides key evidence to facilitate prevention and control of disease or conditions at human-animal and ecosystem interface; 5. Building one health community of practices through sharing opportunities and experiences; 6. Strategic communication and advocacy for enabling and empowering individuals and communities to act tomitigate risk and protect their health, livelihoods and ecosystems; 7. Sustainable capacity building activities in all the components of One Health strategy.