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To control zoonotic diseases in Indonesia, all stakeholders involved, including the medical profession, veterinary medical profession, public health field, and even the general public must raise concern and awareness on the importance of integrated collaboration for this issue. Therefore, to support such practices, Center for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies (CIVAS) has held a Seminar titled “One Health Concept to Overcome Zoonotic Diseases” at Istana Ballroom, Hotel Salak The Heritage Bogor on Saturday, December 20, 2008.

The seminar started at 09.45 WIB and ended at 13.30 WIB. It brought forward four speakers: (1) Tri Satya Putri Naipospos, DVM, MPhil, PhD from Center for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies (CIVAS), whom presented a paper titled “The Strategy to Reduce Disease Risks By Focusing in the Interactions of Human, Animal, and Environment – Contribution to the One World One Health Concept”, (2) Prof. Dr. dr. Nasrin Kodim, MPH, from the Faculty of Public Health, Indonesia University, whom presented a paper titled “Current Zoonotic Diseases in the World and Indonesia”, (3) Bagoes Poermadjaja, DVM, MSc, from the Directorate of Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Indonesia, whom presented a paper titled “Surveillance System and Situation of Zoonotic Diseases in Indonesia”, and (4) dr. Wilfred Purba, MKes, from the Zoonoses Sub-Directorate, Directorate of Control of Diseases from Animal, Directorate General of Disease Control and Environmental Health, Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia, whom presented a paper titled “Surveillance System and Situation of Zoonotic Diseases”. Acting as Moderator was Bambang Pontjo Priosoeryanto, DVM, MS, PhD from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bogor Agricultural University. Results of the seminar were then concluded and compiled by the Moderator and a small team which comprised of Pebi Purwo Suseno, DVM from CIVAS and Surya Al Qamar, DVM from FAO Indonesia. At the end of the presentation session, Prof. Djoko Wuryo from the Indonesia Science Academy (AIPI) also gave a short presentation on the academy’s activities related to the implementation of the “One World One Health” (OWOH) concept in Indonesia.

The seminar was attended by 90 participants from various institutions, including from the Directorate of Animal Health – Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate of Veterinary Public Health – Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate of Control of Diseases from Animal – Ministry of Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine – Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesian Red Cross – Central and Bogor Branch, Livestock Service Offices (DKI Jakarta, Bogor, Sukabumi, West Java Province), Health Office of Bogor District and Municipality, National Committee on Avian Influenza Control and Influenza Pandemic Preparedness, Native Chicken Farmer Association of Sukabumi (KEPRAKS), Indonesian Veterinary Drugs Association (ASOHI), Cikole Animal Disease and Veterinary Public Health Investigation Center (BPPHK Cikole), Cinagara Training Center, organizations concerned in wild life (Indonesian Rhinoceros Foundation, Vesswic, WCS), representatives from APHIS-USDA Jakarta, students from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Bogor Agricultural University, private veterinarians, and individuals from other fields of study with high concern on zoonotic issues.

Seminar materials :

• Material of Prof. DR. Dr. Nasrin Kodim, MPH – Download
• Material of Drh. Turni Rusli Syamsudin, MM – Download
• Material of Drh.Wilfried Purba, MKes – Download
• Material of drh. Tri Satya Putri Naipospos, MPhil, PhD – Download

Results of the seminar were:

1. The increasing threat of zoonoses, or diseases which could be transmitted from animal to human and or visa versa, is closely related to ecological changes, such as changes in the demography and ecosystem which are a major factors in the emerging of diseases.
2. Social, economy, and political factors, such as international travel (creates a borderless world), globalization of agriculture and trade, poverty, social gaps, and mass refugee from natural disasters or war also influence the emerging of diseases.
3. More important factors that influence the emerging of diseases are microorganism adaptation, weather and climate change, and changes in the susceptibility of hosts.
4. For holistic management of zoonoses, multi-discipline and cross-sector collaboration at local, national and international level is imperative to achieve an optimal level of health for human, animals and the environment. This concept is known as “One Health”
5. “One Health” is practiced through strong integration and synergy especially between the medial and veterinary medical profession in fighting against zoonoses by building collaborations, coalitions, and communication between doctors, veterinarians, public health experts, environmental health experts, and many other disciplines that are related either directly or indirectly to this issue.
6. “One Health” is also practiced by building integrated knowledge centers, particularly for epidemiology, microbiology, pathology, biomolecular, risk communication, and etc; plus simultaneous zoonoses studies on human, domestic animals, and wild animals.
7. The “One Health” strategy is emphasized on reducing risks, integrated surveillance for early detection and early warning, integrated outbreak responses and collaborative study on the animal human ecosystem interface.
8. “One Health” requires structural, bureaucracy, political, and cultural “barrier breakdown” in all institutions, individuals, specialists, and sectors so all innovation, expertise, and necessary funding could be utilized in combination to respond to various challenges disturbing the health of human, domestic animals, and wild life and integrity of the earth’s ecosystem.
9. To establish the best practices in reducing risks and minimizing the global impacts of an epidemic or pandemic caused by zoonotic disease, integrated development in disease intelligence, trans-species surveillance, and emergency preparedness and response is highly needed.
10. From the veterinary medicine point of view, implementation of the “One Health” concept requires a strong and stable national animal health system and effective animal health communication.
11. A strong and stable national animal health system refers to the international standard of competence and quality issued by the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) through the concept of “Performance of Veterinary Services” or PVS, which is inline and also complements the International Health Regulation (IHR) issued by WHO.
12. A national law on veterinary medicine is necessary to achieve a strong and stable national animal health system.
13. Collaborative research is very needed to study many aspects such as triggering factors and the source of diseases, spread factors, disease survivability factors, the biology of pathogens in different systems, latest development of diagnostic and prevention tools, socio-economy and cultural studies, and complexity studies and institutional variation.
14. Potential outcome of the “One Health” concept includes expansion and strengthening of medical and veterinary medical education, improvement in preventive medicine and management of zoonoses patients, improvement of early detection and control of zoonoses, improvement of vaccination coverage, and improvement in diagnostic and therapeutic development and tools through integrated biomedic research.
15. ”One World, One Health” entitles us to be more adaptive and visionary, and to use the multidiscipline approach to respond to future zoonoses challenges.