BD stresses unified approach to environment, animal, public health
Environment, animal and public health cannot be treated as separate issues, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo said at a global One Health conference in Rome on Monday.
He called for an integrated approach that considers people, animals, plants and ecosystems together to strengthen the resilience of agrifood systems.
Mintoo made the remarks at the opening session of the global conference on “Actions on One Health in Agrifood Systems” at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy. The conference is being held from September 21 to 23.
The minister said Bangladesh’s position in the densely populated and low-lying Ganges delta left the country highly vulnerable to climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.
People, ecosystems and agrifood systems are closely connected within the same landscape, he said, adding that pressure on one sector could quickly affect others.
As a result, effective solutions could not be achieved by addressing environmental, animal and public health separately, Mintoo said.
He said Bangladesh had spent nearly two decades developing a framework that treats One Health not only as a concept but also as a principle of practical governance, with institutional partnerships at its core.
Drawing on this experience, Bangladesh was prioritising coordination, information sharing and accountability among relevant ministries, while placing the environment and ecosystems at the centre of the One Health framework.
The minister also stressed capacity-building at district and grassroots levels.
He said planned institutional arrangements were needed to establish lasting coordination among ministries.
The formal recognition of the environment sector as a core stakeholder in Bangladesh’s national One Health framework was an important step forward, he said, adding that the partnership needed to be strengthened through joint planning and shared resources.
Mintoo expressed hope that the proposed One Health knowledge hub would help countries exchange practical experiences.
Describing the conference as timely ahead of COP31, scheduled to be held in Antalya in November, he said Bangladesh would take the lessons from the Rome discussions into the COP31 negotiations and work towards a more integrated global approach to climate and environmental health.
He reiterated Bangladesh’s readiness to share its progress and challenges while learning from other countries.
The minister also stressed the need to turn the conference discussions into practical programmes backed by adequate financing and stronger local capacity.
FAO Director-General Dongyu Qu, Swiss President Guy Parmelin, Tanzanian Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Lameck Nchemba, Serbian Prime Minister Duro Macut and other ministers, senior representatives, organisational heads and experts from various countries attended the opening session.
Among those present were Mozambique Health Minister Ussene Hilario Isse, Cabo Verde Agriculture Minister Eveline Nair Monteiro Ramos, France Agriculture Minister Geneverd Annie and Ireland Agriculture Minister T.D. Martin Heydon.
