Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development: Actively support disease prevention and environmental treatment

(PLVN) - On December 10, in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Health Le Duc Luan, Ms. Aler Grubbs, Country Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ms. Martina Stepheny, Senior Director of FOUR PAWS International (FPI) co-chaired the 2024 High-Level Forum on One Health to Prevent Zoonotic Diseases.

December 10, 2024 17:30

(PLVN) - On December 10, in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Health Le Duc Luan, Ms. Aler Grubbs, Country Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ms. Martina Stepheny, Senior Director of FOUR PAWS International (FPI) co-chaired the 2024 High-Level Forum on One Health to Prevent Zoonotic Diseases.

Close coordination between 03 Ministries

The Forum attracted the direct participation of 150 delegates from 90 domestic and international agencies, including 32 signatory partners, 3 co-chairing ministries including Agriculture and Rural Development, Health , Natural Resources and Environment and 29 international and domestic development partners, more than 20 provinces and cities nationwide and hundreds of online participants.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien informed at the forum.

As the main host agency of the Partnership Framework, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said: In the context of unpredictable fluctuations in the world economic and political situation, complex natural disasters, storms and floods causing serious consequences, the agricultural, health and environmental sectors in 2024 will actively and proactively integrate One Health programs and activities into the sector's strategies and actions.

Aiming at the goal of implementing disease prevention and control, ensuring health safety for humans, livestock and the environment, ensuring food safety, disease prevention and environmental treatment after natural disasters to help stabilize people's lives is also an urgent task. This success not only demonstrates the resilience and determination of the entire political system, but also demonstrates the close direction of the Government, the determination of ministries, departments and branches, and the outstanding efforts of localities, the business community as well as the entire people of the country...

Deputy Minister of Health Le Duc Luan spoke at the forum.

Deputy Minister of Health Le Duc Luan commented: Currently, the extensive globalization process, increased trade, climate change and strong urbanization have increased the interaction between humans - animals - ecosystems, which can change old pathogens and cause new pathogens to appear. The Ministry of Health thoroughly cooperates in the direction of One Health, commits to continue to accompany, promote and implement more effectively the activities of disease prevention and control in general and from animals to humans in particular.

Ms. Aler Grubbs, Country Director of the United States Agency for International Development, said, the United States Mission in Vietnam.

Ms. Aler Grubbs, Country Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), said that the U.S. Mission to Vietnam, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has supported Vietnam’s One Health efforts since 2005. In total, USAID has contributed more than $155 million over the past 20 years to these efforts. One Health is a core component of USAID’s program to prevent pandemics and emerging infectious disease threats, including antimicrobial resistance. The United States and Vietnam are committed partners in addressing infectious disease threats, in line with our shared priorities under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Ms. Martina Stepheny, Senior Director FPI.

Representing the NGOs and co-chairing the Forum, Ms. Martina Stepheny, Senior Director of FPI, affirmed that as a permanent international partner, FPI is committed to supporting the Working Group to improve companion animal welfare in Vietnam, as well as reduce health risks for both animals and humans, with a particular focus on phasing out the dog and cat meat trade. "The One Health Partnership is an important forum for Vietnamese Government agencies and stakeholders to work together, address pressing issues, and identify and implement solutions. We are proud to affirm that Vietnam is a country with an excellent One Health coordination and implementation mechanism that all countries can learn from," Ms. Stepheny said.

Review of achievements and next goals

Accordingly, after nearly 20 years of operation, the One Health Partnership Framework on zoonotic disease prevention, chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has been constantly striving to improve its coordination and management methods, focusing on multi-sectoral coordination and multilateral cooperation. Therefore, the Vietnam One Health Partnership Framework has increasingly attracted the attention, participation and accompaniment of relevant parties who proactively seek and participate in the mechanisms of the 5 working groups. The Forum acknowledged the close coordination between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health in zoonotic disease prevention, including institutionalizing One Health activities through key tasks; managing emergency risks well; building a roadmap to improve capacity to implement the World Health Regulations and veterinary capacity; jointly participating and contributing proposals to technical working groups. The two sides agreed on the content of the Antimicrobial Resistance Prevention Strategy 2023-2030 chaired by the Ministry of Health and approved by the Government on September 25, 2023.

The forum attracted the direct participation of 150 delegates from 90 domestic and international agencies, including 32 signatory partners and 3 co-host ministries.

The highlight of this forum is that international organizations co-chairing the core technical groups directly reported on the results of their activities, proposed proposals on mechanisms, policies and specific cooperation activities for each field. Thereby, they committed to support for the 2025 plan. All parties affirmed their high commitment to One Health activities in Vietnam, continued to improve multi-sectoral coordination, and support in processes and procedures for activities, programs, projects and cooperation areas with international and domestic partners. At the same time, they expressed gratitude, recognition and high appreciation for the efforts from international and domestic partners who have been focusing resources to join hands with the Vietnamese Government in disease prevention, especially in overcoming the consequences of the recent storm No. 3 (Yagi).

Other international partners are also highly committed to accompanying and supporting the Vietnamese Government in preventing zoonotic diseases using the One Health approach, implementing the tasks and goals in the National Master Plan on One Health, 2021-2025.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/bo-nnptnt-ho-tro-tich-cuc-phong-chong-dich-benh-va-xu-ly-moi-truong-post534347.html