On behalf of SEA-EU-NET, The French Agricultural Research Center for International Development (CIRAD) in collaboration with local and international organizations, including the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), the National Institute for Veterinary Research (NIVR), the British High Commission Singapore (BHC), the Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN) and Vietnam One Health University Network (VOHUN), and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) together successfully organized the European – Southeast-Asia Experts One Health in Action Workshop on 13th – 15th October, 2014 in Hanoi. Ninety-seven participants from 16 countries, including 41 animal health, 49 public health and seven environmental/wildlife health experts from Europe and Southeast Asia, met at the workshop to discuss the reality of practical challenges, and the impact of One Health initiatives and gaps in research.
The workshop had five key objectives: (1) To share information on proof of concept, and the impact/added value of One Health implementation in the field; (2) To identify practical challenges linked to the implementation of the One Health concept; (3) To identify gaps and needs for One Health research, and to discuss new topics; (4) To promote exchanges between the EU and ASEAN experts, national institutes, international institutes, and funding agencies on One Health research; and (5) To provide technical and partnership support for the development of project proposals and H2020 Topic. Over 20 scientific presentations, shared experiences, interventions, solutions and three brainstorming session covered three key topics: i) One Health surveillance; ii) One Health/Ecohealth research at the wildlife/domestic animal/human interface; and iii) Antimirobial resistance – a One Health challenge. Dr. Phuc, on behalf of VOHUN, presented research on non-communicable disease control and prevention in Vietnam using the Ecohealth approach, and shared successes and challenges for implementing One Health, Ecohealth in Vietnam. On the final day of the workshop, a field trip to the Ha Vi market – the biggest wholesale poultry market in the North of Vietnam – was organised for participants.
Participants joined the field trip to the Ha Vi wholesale poultry market in Thuong Tin dist., Hanoi
At the end of the meeting, the workshop had achieved the following outcomes 1) It identified the most important topics for each session based on gaps and needs in research at a regional level, 2) Turned these topics into calls for proposals, 3) Validated these calls for proposals by workshop participants at the end of the workshop, and 4) Disseminated the policy note with a list of relevant topics for international cooperation, to the EU and other funding agencies, through lobbying actions and networking.
