ABSTRACT:
One Health Approach, Lessons from Fragile States The momentum around “One health Approach” is growing. The launch of Manhattan and Berlin principles, Covid-19 pandemic climate change and launch of quadripartite (WHO WOAH FAO UNEP) are important achievements in support of the initiative. However, there is less known about One Health Approach in fragile states and how countries are tackling infectious disease outbreaks, climate induced calamities and manmade disasters. This paper tries to bring One health approach to the front of global health agenda. The DRC is grappling the outbreaks of Ebola virus, which has caused death and destruction to Congolese communities. There is rise in outbreak of infectious disease including measles CCHF rabies diarrhea in Somalia, Palestine Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan and Myanmar putting additional burden on already weak health system. Despite this, fragile states have made strides in tackling the infectious disease. Afghanistan is tackling the spread of infectious disease through improved surveillance, zoonotic disease and one health committees. The work of VBS in response to the earthquake in Myanmar yielded promising results. In Sudan, due to zoonotic outbreaks and climate change, the country adopted a multipronged approach (animal vaccination, capacity building and rehabilitation of wash infrastructure) leading to important results. The global momentum created in support of one health approach provides a great opportunity to building resilient health systems to tackle the growing threat from infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics. The examples presented from several fragile countries indicate that if put together in the right manner, success can be achieved in implementation of one health approach in conflict and fragile situations. While the concept of one health approach will continue to evolve over the years, integration of best practices and success stories from conflict and fragile settings will bring added value to the development and maturity of initiative.