Challenges and response to pandemics as seen in a One Health perspective

ABSTRACT

The global pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 not only exposed the fragility of global preparedness and response to public health emergence, but also illustrated the fragmentation and gaps of research and development ecosystem. This emphasizes the need for planned actions against the potentiality of new pandemics and requires research to better understand how viruses bridge the animal/human divide making human-to-human transmission of new diseases possible. Major challenges to response to new epidemics under the current health framework reside in the so called 4-CC approach that focuses on Concept, Communication, Coherence, and Continuity. There is a need to also add a One Health perspective with emphasis on governance, surveillance, capacity building and multi-disciplinary research to achieve a holistic and better integrated system. Using a regulatory framework to equip professionals might facilitate the function of a multi-sector approach that recognizes the value of their mandates and a One Health approach in their work. Collaborative, multisectoral actions under the global regulations and guidance would make evidence-based One Health approaches sustainable and accessible to everyone.