From June 11 to 13, 2024, the Veterinary University of Vienna, Austria, will host an important regional event, the One Health Seminar for the European Region. This event, conducted in a hybrid format, serves as a significant platform for fostering collaboration among representatives from the public health, animal health, and environmental health sectors across Europe and Central Asia.
Jointly organized by the regional offices for Europe of the Quadripartite partners—the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)—this seminar underscores the commitment to the One Health approach. WOAH serves as the Chair for the period 2024–25 within the Regional One Health Coordination Mechanism in Europe.
Participants will engage in discussions aimed at identifying opportunities and best practices for implementing the One Health approach to tackle health threats emerging from the human-animal-environment interface in Europe and Central Asia. Leveraging the One Health Joint Plan of Action and its Implementation Guide, the seminar aims to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration.
Furthermore, the event will provide a platform for deliberating recommendations regarding the integration of the One Health concept into existing national plans. Additionally, participants will agree on proposals to be presented to Member States for the One Health sessions at the forthcoming 31st Regional Conference of the WOAH in Uzbekistan and the 74th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in Copenhagen.
In conjunction with the Regional One Health Coordination Mechanism for Europe, a Partner Platform will convene to bring together regional institutions, donors, academia, and other stakeholders. This platform will facilitate discussions on future collaborative actions aimed at supporting countries in Europe and Central Asia in implementing the One Health concept effectively.
The seminar receives financial support from the European Union and generous contributions from the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care, and Consumer Protection of the Republic of Austria. Such support underscores the collective commitment to advancing One Health principles and addressing health challenges in the European region and beyond.
