The Emergency Management Centre-Animal Health (EMC-AH) activity report reflects how through the core pillars of its strategic action plan: preparedness, response, incident coordination, collaboration and resource mobilization, EMC-AH contributed to strengthening resilience of livelihoods to animal health-related emergencies and zoonoses. The report addresses EMC-AH performance and actions for the twelve-month period of November 2020–October 2021 and illustrates EMC-AH’s commitment to transparency and accountability. Despite restrictions imposed due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, EMC-AH continued to effectively and rapidly support FAO divisions, country and regional offices, and international partners, to reduce the threat of animal diseases to food security, agricultural development, social stability and trade.
Meant to aid State & local emergency managers in their efforts to develop & maintain a viable all-hazard emergency operations plan. This guide clarifies the preparedness, response, & short-term recovery planning elements that warrant inclusion in emergency operations plans. It offers the best judgment & recommendations on how to deal with the entire planning process -- from forming a planning team to writing the plan. Specific topics of discussion include: preliminary considerations, the planning process, emergency operations plan format, basic plan content, functional annex content, hazard-unique planning, & linking Federal & State operations.
With lessons learned from COVID-19, a world-leading expert on pandemic preparedness proposes a pragmatic plan urgently needed for the future of global health security. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how unprepared the world was for such an event, as even the most sophisticated public health systems failed to cope. We must have far more investment and preparation, along with better detection, warning, and coordination within and across national boundaries. In an age of global pandemics, no country can achieve public health on its own. Health security planning is paramount. Lawrence O. Gostin has spent three decades designing resilient health systems and governance that take account of our interconnected world, as a close advisor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and many public health agencies globally. Global Health Security addresses the borderless dangers societies now face, including infectious diseases and bioterrorism, and examines the political, environmental, and socioeconomic factors exacerbating these threats. Weak governance, ineffective health systems, and lack of preparedness are key sources of risk, and all of them came to the fore during the COVID-19 crisis, evenÑsometimes especiallyÑin wealthy countries like the United States. But the solution is not just to improve national health policy, which can only react after the threat is realized at home. Gostin further proposes robust international institutions, tools for effective cross-border risk communication and action, and research programs targeting the global dimension of public health. Creating these systems will require not only sustained financial investment but also shared values of cooperation, collective responsibility, and equity. Gostin has witnessed the triumph of these values in national and international forums and has a clear plan to tackle the challenges ahead. Global Health Security therefore offers pragmatic solutions that address the failures of the recent past, while looking toward what we know is coming. Nothing could be more important to the future health of nations.
The Joint External Evaluation (JEE) team would like to express its appreciation to the Republic of Azerbaijan for volunteering to conduct a JEE. Azerbaijan's response to COVID-19 and its participation in the JEE and other global public health initiatives have consistently demonstrated Azerbaijan's political commitment, foresight, leadership and accountability in building and maintaining the country's core capacities to implement the IHR. In 2019 Azerbaijan embarked on preparations for the JEE. Preparing for the JEE was then delayed as Azerbaijan prioritized their effort to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic; including strengthening health care capacities to treat COVID-19 cases; increasing vaccination, including implementation of innovative digital systems for vaccination promotion and administration; and enhancing its surveillance system. The JEE team wholeheartedly acknowledges Azerbaijan's voluntary participation in the JEE process and the decision to continue with the evaluation after the pandemic response, appreciates the country's dedicated engagement with the external team and express its gratitude for the warm hospitality and collegiality extended to the team. It is commendable that Azerbaijan and all nations which volunteer to undergo the JEE process demonstrate their unwavering commitment to strengthening global health security.
One Health, the concept of combined veterinary and human health, has now expanded beyond emerging infectious diseases and zoonoses to incorporate a wider suite of health issues. Retaining its interdisciplinary focus which combines theory with practice, this new edition illustrates the contribution of One Health collaborations to real-world issues such as sanitation, economics, food security and vaccination programmes. It includes more non-infectious disease issues and climate change discussion alongside revised case studies and expanded methodology chapters to draw out implications for practice. Promoting an action-based, solutions-oriented approach, One Health: The Theory and Practice of Integrated Health Approaches highlights the lessons learned for both human and animal health professionals and students.
This report summarizes the activities and results achieved in 2022 by the 26 experts of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP). OHHLEP provided scientific advice on the Quadripartite One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA) which was launched in October 2022, worked on a One Health Theory of Change that became an integral part of the OH JPA, prepared scientific opinions related to the envisaged Pandemic Instrument, and developed a white paper on the definition for the Prevention of zoonotic spillover. OHHLEP also continued to support the implementation of the Quadripartite OH JPA through development of an inventory of One Health tools. With these activities, OHHLEP supported the Quadripartite’s efforts on the mainstreaming and implementation of One Health. The report highlights main outputs and deliverables produced over the period and outlines priorities for 2023.
This annual report presents the major achievements of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) in 2017, including the record adoption of 22 standards and the set-up of a phytosanitary treatment search facility. 2017 also saw continued implementation of the action plan for the Secretariat Enhancement Evaluation and ongoing changes to the IPPC Secretariat.
