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Central Asia One Health Framework for action
The Governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have agreed with The World Bank to develop a Regional One Health Framework for Action to protect food systems and prevent future pandemics in Central Asia. The purpose of developing a Framework for Action is to ensure regional direction and guidance, propose an institutional design, and support the development of monitoring and surveillance systems for the progressive implementation of OH approaches to prevention and preparedness of pandemics, zoonoses, AMR, and food hazards. The Framework will also guide the Bank’s operational engagement on One Health in Central Asia at the country and regional levels in FY23 and beyond.
The Framework for action will:
- Identify main priorities on pandemic preparedness, zoonoses, AMR, and food safety as national and regional priorities.
- Include country- and regional-level action plans to address main priority areas.
- Identify financing for the implementation of the country and regional action plans, including from national budgets, and investments from the World Bank, regional development banks, and other development partners.
- Propose One Health governance structures for the implementation of national and regional activities, including
- A regional platform for coordination of animal health, environmental health, and public health in Central Asia.
- National and regional mechanisms for collaboration, including for (i) convening and coordination activities between sector and countries, and with international partner organizations active on One Health; (ii) development and harmonization of policies and legal frameworks; (iii) knowledge development through joint research; and (iv) capacity building.
- Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mechanisms (targets, indicators, etc.) and activities.
Technical assessments and consultations will be carried out as part of the Framework for action preparation process.
Background
Central Asian countries face similar regional animal and human health challenges; the need to prepare for future pandemics, and to address new opportunities and threats associated with increasing animal production and transborder movements of animals and their products. The nature and the magnitude of these common challenges are high on governments’ agendas and perceived as demanding regional collaboration to develop prevention and control systems on a scale that single-country strategies are not able to achieve.
COVID-19 emphasized the urgent need for pandemic preparedness and the prevention and control of infectious diseases. The economic impact of the pandemic will continue, compounded by a relatively high prevalence of zoonoses in livestock, domestic animals, and the human population. Food safety is weak in the region, and antimicrobials are widely used without a prescription, including for faster animal growth and disease prevention. These threats are likely to fuel future epidemics and pandemics affecting the region. In addition, land degradation is widespread and will be aggravated by climate change, with consequent effects on livestock production and the risk of spillovers on human health.
The continuing development of regional transport infrastructure transforms food systems and brings major opportunities for exports of livestock and animal products but also brings an increased risk of the transmission and spread of trans-boundary diseases. The prospects of the region and these countries as suppliers of agri-products and livestock will depend on how their food producers and processors respond to the quality and safety demands of consumers, and on how well they coordinate on quality standards and expand agricultural food trade to boost economic growth and raise standards of living.
These challenges take place against a backdrop of renewed attention to persistent poverty and a renewed focus on inclusion, resilience, and addressing food insecurities. Central Asia is expected to experience a sharp growth slowdown in 2022, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, tighter macroeconomic policy, and new geopolitical tensions and uncertainties. Agriculture and livestock will be an important asset for local communities as about 50% of the population live in rural areas and are highly dependent on the sector for their income and food security. The war in Ukraine is expected to cause steep declines in remittances and sharp increases in food prices. Reported food insecurity is currently largely linked to affordability concerns rather than lack of food availability in local markets.
Managing global health risks requires full cooperation between the animal, environmental, and public health sectors, at the country, regional, and global levels. One Health is a collaborative approach that brings these sectors together to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from infectious diseases, aiming at improving global health security and achieving gains in development. This approach addresses the root causes of the environmental, animal, and public health issues and is thus critical for achieving the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One Health has been useful in other regions that have adopted it, where it has proved to be cost-effective. In Central Asia, it would contribute to achieving high level objectives shared at regional level: pandemic prevention, food system resilience, and trade and competitiveness.
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