The Importance of Unison of Animal Health Professions for Human Health
Dramaga-8 May 2010, The National Seminar on One World One Health (OWOH) was held by the Education Division of the Student Executive Body (BEM) of the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) at the Andi Hakim Nasution Rectorate Auditorium in IPB. The seminar elaborated how unison of animal health professions is important for the sake of human health. Four speakers at the seminar were Dr. Drs. Tri Krianto, MScPH from the Faculty of Public Health – Indonesia University, dr. Lelitasari, Mkk – a doctor at a community health center (Puskesmas) in Bogor city, drh. Wiwiek Bagja – General Chairwoman of the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association (PDHI), and Muria Roberts from Multispecies Education International (MEI).

In general, all speakers emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration between all professions, such as doctors, veterinarians, public health, conservationists, teachers, and other professions, to achieve human health. The One World One Health concept, which then developed into One World One Health One Medicine (OWOHOM), was first initiated by many world health organizations and other organizations in response to current global challenges, such as quick human travel, forest encroachment, and climate change which are several predisposing factors for emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) and re-emerging infectious diseases (RIDs). Hence all parties are required to find a global solution for the issues. Globalization has allowed disease to travel to the other side of the earth in less than 24 hours, therefore all countries must think globally. A health issue in one country is a global issue because it could spread to other countries (trans-boundary diseases). This is the basis of the OWOH concept.

The basic foundation of OWOH is that no single discipline or public sector has sufficient knowledge or resources to prevent new emerging diseases or re-emerging diseases in a globalized world. Also no single country could fully recover the patterns of a lost habitat or reverse extinction, which are both believed to have a weakening effect to human and animal health.

Based on those lines of thought, OWOH is a concept that aims to achieve human health through the collaboration of all disciplines and professions.