NCOH-2020-banners-news-1170x347
Home » News » Publication from within the NCOH-network: “One Health training and research activities in Western Europe”

Publication from within the NCOH-network: “One Health training and research activities in Western Europe”

The increase in emerging human infectious diseases that have a zoonotic origin and the increasing resistance of microorganisms to antimicrobial drugs have shown the need for collaborations between the human, animal and environmental health sectors.

The One Health concept increasingly receives attention from policy makers and researchers all over the world. This overview compiled research and education activities in the area of One Health in Western Europe with a focus on infectious diseases. It can serve as a starting point for future initiatives and collaborations.

This overview shows that there is considerable recognition for One Health in Europe, although most educational initiatives are recent. In Europe, the One Health approach is currently mainly advocated in relation to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Many countries have incorporated the One Health approach in their policy to fight AMR, and funding possibilities for AMR research increased significantly. On the other hand, the number of national and international multidisciplinary research networks in the area of zoonotic diseases and One Health is also increasing. However, in many countries collaboration between sectors is still lacking, and One Health activities are predominantly initiated by the veterinary sector. Targeted funding can be used to stimulate multidisciplinary and multinational collaborations.

The article has been published in the Infection Ecology & Epidemiology – The One Health Journal.

Reseachers: Reina Sikkema, MSc, DVM and prof. dr. Marion Koopmans, PhD, DVM, Head of the Department of Viroscience of the Erasmus MC and Scientific Director of the NCOH – regarding Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Reina Sikkema“Although One Health has gained significant recognition in the past decade, but for truly successful application and roll out of the One Health approach, an inventory of current barriers for collaboration and funding to address those barriers is needed.” Reina Sikkema