Challenge
Zoonotic pandemics and antimicrobial resistance are major global health challenges which are on the rise and exacerbated by factors such as environmental degradation, human encroachment on wildlife habitats and intensifying livestock and fish production systems. The impacts of environmental degradation such as pollution and climate change can alter ecological systems, increase the abundance of disease vectors, and accelerate the spread of pathogens.
Low- and middle-income countries are particularly vulnerable to these challenges, with limited resources and inadequate healthcare systems. They account for most foodborne illnesses and deaths and two-thirds of global antimicrobial use in livestock production. To address this urgent challenge, a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach is needed, involving experts in public health, animal health, environmental science, and social sciences.
It is important to prioritize the development of effective and sustainable solutions that address the root cause of these challenges and ensure equitable access to prevention and treatment measures. Failure to act efficiently and effectively could lead to disastrous consequences causing immense suffering and loss of life worldwide.
Objective
The One Health Initiative has a twofold objective. First, to demonstrate the efficacy of implementing One Health principles and tools in food systems to tackle zoonotic disease outbreaks which would also improve food and water safety and reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance. Second, to foster the adoption of a One Health approach in the countries it works in to improve the health of people, animals and the environment.
Activities
This objective will be achieved by:
- Emerging and neglected zoonoses: Using a range of methods to pre-empt the emergence and spread of zoonoses with epidemic and pandemic potential, and reducing incidence of zoonotic pathogens associated with poverty through integrated provision of public health and veterinary services.
- Food safety: Reducing the burden of foodborne diseases including in informal and traditional food systems by creating an enabling environment and providing training and technologies for food value chain actors.
- Antimicrobial resistance: Reducing antimicrobial resistance, including by reducing antimicrobial use, limiting availability of falsified or poor-quality antimicrobials, and reducing transmission.
- Water: Improving waste and water management to reduce pollution and mitigate the risk to human health through livestock and fish food value chains.
- Economics, governance and behavior: Identifying and understanding barriers and constraints to the adoption of recommended practices by food system actors, assessing the impact of innovations developed through the Initiative, and developing mechanisms to ensure that innovations maximize benefits, and minimize potential harms to marginalized groups.
Engagement
This Initiative will work in the following countries as a priority: Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Uganda and Vietnam.
Outcomes
Proposed 3-year outcomes include:
- Policymakers at the national level allocate more resources (finances, personnel, facilities, etc.) for zoonoses sensitization, surveillance and response.
- The role of water in the transmission of pathogens and AMR, and proposed solutions for waste and water management, are recognized in national One Health planning processes of at least two countries.
- One Health policy planning processes in at least three countries takes into account gendered constraints and incentives of small- and medium-scale food system actors, trade-offs across policy goals and the magnitude and distribution of impacts.
- Government and private sector partners support integration of the Enabling, Capacitating, and Motivating approach for informal food business operators into regulatory systems.
- At least two countries incorporate tools and targets to reduce antimicrobial use and AMR based on CGIAR evidence in their AMR action plans.
Impact
Projected impacts and benefits include:
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NUTRITION, HEALTH & FOOD SECURITY
More than 11.3 million lives saved and many more lives extended via food safety measures and prevention of zoonoses and other communicable and non-communicable diseases. Reducing the prevalence of foodborne diseases, zoonoses and infections resistant to antimicrobials directly improves human health. Reducing the diarrheal disease burden improves key nutrition outcomes, including stunting and wasting. |
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POVERTY REDUCTION, LIVELIHOODS & JOBS
More than 24.5 million people are prevented from entering poverty due to the effects of emerging zoonoses or AMR. Mitigating zoonoses, foodborne disease and AMR helps reduce poverty, as the poor disproportionately suffer from these issues. |
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GENDER EQUALITY, YOUTH & SOCIAL INCLUSION
More than 5.8 million women and girls benefit at scale from efforts to improve food safety and prevent zoonoses, while more than 12.2 million women and girls are prevented from entering poverty. Women and youth are involved in surveillance of zoonoses and uptake of disease mitigation and food safety measures. Reducing illness reduces the burden on women of caring for the sick. |
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CLIMATE ADAPTATION & MITIGATION
Improved manure management through composting and use of bio-digestors reduces greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation and improves plant health and crop yields through higher–quality organic fertilizers, contributing to an averted 202,756 tonnes of CO2 emissions. These efforts also reduce environmental contamination by pathogens, antimicrobial residues, and antimicrobial genes. |
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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & BIODIVERSITY
While environmental health and biodiversity is not a primary Impact Area for this Initiative, work under the Initiative will contribute to some aspects of environmental health, such as reduced water pollution and improved management of wildlife interfaces. |
Projected benefits are a way to illustrate reasonable orders of magnitude for impacts which could arise as a result of the impact pathways set out in the Initiative’s theories of change. In line with the 2030 Research and Innovation Strategy, Initiatives contribute to these impact pathways, along with other partners and stakeholders. CGIAR does not deliver impact alone. These projections therefore estimate plausible levels of impact to which CGIAR, with partners, contribute. They do not estimate CGIAR’s attributable share of the different impact pathways.
Partners
Partnerships are essential to the success of CGIAR Initiatives. The One Health Initiative has a wide array of demand, innovation, and scaling partners, including ministries of agriculture, ministries of health, ministries of environment, national One Health platforms, UN organizations WHO, FAO, and UNEP, NARS, advanced research institutions/universities, regional organizations, NGOs and private sector companies.
Leadership
- Lead: Hung Nguyen, h.nguyen@cgiar.org
- Co-lead: Vivian Hoffmann, v.hoffmann@cgiar.org