Effective implementation of the ‘One Health’ approach requires coordinated commitment at the highest level among the ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Fisheries and Livestock, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said on Wednesday.
“One Health is not just a subject for speeches. It demands real commitment, policy-level decisions and a collective mindset to work together. The era of fragmented efforts is over; now we need a ‘whole-of-government’ and ‘whole-of-nation’ approach,” she said while chairing a seminar titled ‘One Health Activities: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Strategies’, organised by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock at a city hotel. The adviser said human health, animal health and the environment are deeply interconnected, and only through their integration can One Health be implemented in its true sense.
She noted that while humans are victims of diseases, they are often also responsible for their spread. Unsafe food, environmental pollution, excessive use of antibiotics and unplanned urbanisation are increasing health risks, which must be addressed by prioritising preventive and primary healthcare.
Farida Akhter said climate change, genetic diseases, food security and public health issues are closely linked. In this context, a decision has been taken to implement the proposed One Health initiative through a single DPP involving all three ministries, with three project directors to ensure active participation from each sector.
Expressing optimism, she said Bangladesh would successfully implement the One Health initiative by considering human health, livestock, fisheries and the environment together, setting an effective example for others. Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said development planning must place environment, biodiversity and public health at its core, stressing the need for integrated and forward-looking decisions.
She said while roads or infrastructure can be built, natural assets such as the Sundarbans or rivers cannot be recreated once destroyed. Climate change, pandemics and environmental crises repeatedly remind us that every element of nature is deeply interconnected, and humans are not owners of nature but an inseparable part of it.
The environment adviser also pointed out that procedural complexities, weak inter-ministerial coordination and delays in decision-making are major obstacles to implementing One Health activities. To overcome these challenges, she stressed the need for effective advisory committees at national and district levels, along with clearly defined focal points in each ministry.
Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Health and Family Welfare Prof Dr Md Sayedur Rahman said human health must remain at the centre of the One Health concept. He said the importance of fish, livestock and environmental health ultimately lies in their impact on human health, food security and livelihoods, as food contamination, unsafe animal feed and environmental changes eventually affect people.
Describing the proposed One Health project as an ‘eye-opening’ initiative for Bangladesh, the special assistant said its goal is to build the capacity to detect health risks early and respond in a timely manner by viewing humans, animals and nature through a single lens.