A collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.
Lusaka, June 14 – During his contribution to the report from the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Land and Natural Resources whose focus was on the critical area of the control of livestock diseases, the former Minister of Health, the PF presidential candidate and the current Mansa Central Member of Parliament, Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, urged government to implement the One Health Approach policy.
“Madam Speaker, livestock diseases impact on the economy and particularly on food security. It is critical as we talk about the Policy Framework, the Animal Husbandry Act, and many other legal provisions under this sector to talk about the One Health Approach policy,” Dr. Chilufya started.
He said modern trends do not now look at livestock diseases as an isolated area. They are looked at in one integrated approach or the One Health Approach.
“Madam Speaker, this is so because in one ecosystem, living things, humans, animals and plants coexist in one environment. The pathogens that cause diseases in animals can easily cause diseases in humans. And these are the zoonotic diseases that we face on a daily basis,” he explained.
He said it was, therefore, important that he made a clarion call from inception for government to ensure it embraced and accelerated the implementation of the One Health Approach policy, particularly focusing on food safety, zoonotic diseases, neglected tropical diseases, laboratory services, environmental health and antimicrobial resistance.
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The former Health Minister advised to shift from looking at diseases in animals in isolation which confines the nation to containment and control of outbreaks.
“We must go beyond this. And we must invest in robust systems that are integrated and do not only ensure sustainable livestock health, but also protect humans and other habitats of the ecosystem from pandemics,” he advised.
In debating the policy framework, Dr. Chilufya reiterated the need for government to implement what is in the One Health Approach policy that was designed in 2020 through the National Public Health Institute, and also through the recently relaunched the One Health Approach from 2022 to 2026 strategic plan as it would accrue benefits to public health and animal health.
On disease surveillance, he reminded the House that the Parliamentary Committee noted that there is very poor funding or inadequate activity into surveillance.
“Madam Speaker, surveillance is critical for us to pick out diseases early and make sure that we react or respond timeously and reduce the loss of livestock. Madam Speaker, in the recent outbreaks of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, of castle disease and of many other common livestock diseases, we’ve lost thousands of animals and we regressed our economy. If our surveillance is enhanced, we would be able to detect the signs early and be able to put up a timeous response,” he explained.
He continued, “I am making a call in support to the Committee for us to increase funding for surveillance so that we can protect our animals and ensure that the zoonotic diseases, those that move from animals to men are also prevented.”
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On antimicrobial resistance, Dr. Chitalu Chilufya reminded the House that it is a global public health threat. It refers to a situation where antibiotics or many drugs that we use to treat viruses, bacteria and fungi will stop being effective.
The former Minister of Health explained, “This is because of careless use of antibiotics and many other medicines often in plant, animal and human health. It’s important that we promote collaboration amongst all the key stakeholders in plant and animal health and in human health to ensure we combat antimicrobial resistance.”
Dr. Chilufya, however, noted that Zambia has made progress the One Health Approach and through the Zambia National Public Health Institute, we should strengthen the One Health Approach and that component of antimicrobial resistance.
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