PREVENTING the emergence of diseases will entail only a fraction of the actual damage wrought by the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic by applying the “One Health” approach, Deputy Secretary-General of Asean for Asean Socio-Cultural Community Kung Phoak said.
In his opening remarks at the recent webinar, “Wildlife Conservation and Zoonotic Diseases: Halting Species Loss and Tackling Public Health in the Asean,” Phoak said preventing the emergence of diseases requires just 2 percent of the total damage incurred in responding to Covid-19.
Organized by the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) in collaboration with Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Asean Secretariat, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the webinar was meant to tackle ways to address the threats of zoonotic diseases and move forward to a better post-Covid recovery future for the Asean.
Phoak said the pandemic and its recovery should be seen as an opportunity to explore ways and leverage existing partnership and initiatives toward a more collective and coordinated response to mitigate impacts.
Citing a recent study, Dr. Gyanendra Gongal, the Regional Advisor of the World Health Organization (WHO) Office in South-East Asia, shared that as of July 2020, the total damage resulting from the pandemic has had reached $11.5 trillion.
“Spending about USD 266 billion in 10 years would substantially reduce the risks of another pandemic,” Dr. Gongal stressed, noting that this amount can be allocated to priority actions such as law enforcement, technical responses to early warning and surveillance systems, adequate funding, and policy advocacy efforts such as the “One Health” approach.
As a regional body, the Asean took steps to combat the pandemic such as the Declaration of the Special Asean Summit on Covid-19, the Asean Strategic Framework for Public Health Emergencies, and the Asean Comprehensive Recovery Framework and Implementation Plan to chart a path to recover and build back better.
ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim said the pandemic catalyzed an increased awareness of the need for nature-based solutions and cross-sectoral actions, and noted that as a regional hub for biodiversity conservation, the ACB has a significant role in the application of the “One Health” approach.
“The ACB is able to contribute to ensuring public health and well-being by supporting biodiversity-related programs in the Asean, which include the Asean Heritage Parks Programme, wildlife conservation and ecosystems restoration initiatives, and the Asean Flyway Network. By protecting wildlife and their habitats, we reduce opportunities for viral spillovers,” Lim said.
Other experts in the panel acknowledged the significant potential of Asean policy frameworks and legislation on the management of the wildlife trade chain with the highest risk of zoonotic pathogen emergence to contribute to maintaining ecosystem integrity. Expanding, linking, and improving protected areas will strengthen natural protective barriers between humans and animals.
Asean member states such as Viet Nam and the Philippines are currently initiating “One Health” efforts as a response to emerging diseases like Covid-19.
Vu Thi Phuong, a senior officer of Viet Nam’s International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shared the country’s efforts under the One Health approach, particularly the establishment of the “Vietnam One Health Partnership for Zoonoses (OHP).”
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, key programs on joint wildlife surveillance; education and public awareness campaigns and inter-agency coordination are among the responses of the government according to Dr. Ronnie Domingo, director of the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Philippines Department of Agriculture.