Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Representatives of the government departments of the Central Asian countries in the field of health, environmental protection, agriculture and finance took part in a regional seminar on the development of a "Framework Program of Action based on the One Health concept in Central Asia" which took place in Samarkand. This was reported by the press service of the World Bank.

Participants discussed the results of the preliminary evaluation of the One Health Action Framework in Central Asia, which is developing recommendations and mechanisms for coordinating regional cooperation aimed at meeting the challenges of combating zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance and ensuring food safety. The participants also got acquainted with the results of the report “Protecting food systems, preventing future pandemics: arguments in favor of the One Health program in Central Asia” prepared by the World Bank. The event presented recommendations from five regional assessments and proposed ways to jointly prepare practical strategies for implementing the One Health approach at both the national and regional levels.

The report concludes that the One Health approach is cost-effective for countries and the region.

According to a World Bank analysis, an annual investment by the international community in One Health of between US$1.9 billion and US$3.4 billion (depending on disease prevalence) could halve or completely prevent pandemics. The expected annual return on such investments will be up to 44-71%.

Central Asia is particularly vulnerable to new infectious disease outbreaks as it lies at the crossroads of global value chains with countries heavily dependent on labor migration. Animal diseases affect productivity, food supply and agricultural competitiveness across the region. At the same time, the common epidemiological heritage of countries gives the region a unique advantage in organizing the work to prevent and control future outbreaks of diseases. The region has already laid the foundations for One Health, a collaborative approach that brings together agencies working in the fields of agriculture, environment and public health to prevent and detect infectious diseases, respond to emerging outbreaks and recover from them. . The implementation of the Framework for Action will require further strengthening of regional cooperation on this basis, as well as additional investment and capacity building.

“Comprehensive implementation of the One Health approach is possible only if the countries of the region make appropriate high-level commitments, as well as coordinated interaction with international and local partners,” said Jane Ebinger, Head of the Sustainable Development Sector of the World Bank. “Central Asian governments will ensure the implementation and technical and financial sustainability of the regional One Health initiative at the national level, while international partner organizations may consider providing coordinated support.”

In November 2022, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan signed a joint communiqué on Protecting Food Systems and Preventing Pandemics in Central Asia, officially launching the development of the One Health Framework for Action in Central Asia. This program involves the development of principles for the implementation of investments aimed at achieving three priorities for the countries of Central Asia: preventing pandemics, strengthening the resilience of food systems and agriculture, and developing regional trade and increasing competitiveness. The communiqué also calls for a joint mobilization of resources in support of this important initiative.

The workshop was attended by representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).