PANJIM: Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala on Thursday emphasised the need for the health sector including animal health, to reduce its contribution to climate change and strengthen surveillance of animal-linked (zoonotic) diseases to prevent health emergencies from emerging.
Delivering the inaugural address at a side-event of the 2nd G20 Health Working Group Meeting titled, ‘Addressing the Challenges of Climate Change and Health: One Earth, One Family, One Future’, at Bambolim, Rupala stressed that strengthening animal health and implementing an One Health approach can help prevent and control zoonotic diseases, which have significant impacts on animal welfare, economic productivity, and human health.
Rupala emphasised the importance of a ‘One Health’ approach that recognises the linkages between human, animal, and environmental health.
He reiterated the Prime Minister’s message that despite geographical boundaries, all of humanity is part of the same cosmos.
“We are looking forward to drawing an effective and collaborative multi-institutional, multi-sectoral, and multi-ministerial mechanism under the aegis of National One Health Mission. The aim is to have an improved and strengthened Animal Health System and a well-drawn framework enabling early warning systems and preparedness for any future epidemics and pandemics. The whole idea is to ensure ecosystem health towards a healthier and wealthier world,” he said.
“We must embrace principles that will move the G20 country health and animal sectors in at least three ways: strengthen human and animal health systems’ abilities to prevent, prepare and respond to emergencies, such as outbreaks and extreme weather events, making health systems climate-resilient; reduce the human and animal health sector’s greenhouse gas emissions and deliver low-carbon, sustainable practices that protect people, animals, and natural ecosystems and a dedicated focus on preventing and controlling animal diseases, especially those with pandemic potential, can simultaneously improve human, animal, and environmental health,” Rupala said.
