A key role for veterinary authorities and animal health practitioners in preventing and controlling neglected parasitic zoonoses

Overview

The Regional Offices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Asia and the Pacific region (“Regional Tripartite”) have a longstanding and successful partnership in promoting and facilitating a One Health approach to address challenges at the human–animal– environment interface, including zoonotic influenza, rabies and antimicrobial resistance. In October 2020, the regional representatives from the Tripartite organisations in Asia and the Pacific region signed a Statement of Intent to Coordinate. The statement acknowledged the importance of close coordination and effective communication across sectors, and expressed a commitment to working together to partner with the Member States and regional organisations to strengthen coordinated efforts to fight existing and emerging health threats, and to protect lives and livelihoods today and in the future.

Neglected parasitic zoonoses, such as cysticercosis and echinococcosis, are a group of zoonoses that continue to impose a significant burden and affect the livelihoods of vulnerable populations that typically have limited access to adequate sanitation, basic living conditions, health and veterinary services and awareness.

Recognising the disease burden and importance of a multisectoral approach to controlling and eliminating neglected parasitic zoonoses, in 2018 the Regional Tripartite jointly organised a regional workshop on neglected foodborne parasitic zoonoses, gathering representatives from different sectors, namely human health, animal health, food safety and water, sanitation and hygiene, and facilitating a dialogue to initiate joint coordinated actions. Following the meeting, the organisations continue to collaborate to enhance multisectoral partnerships at country level, ensuring that necessary multisectoral interventions reach all the affected populations in need, including hard-to-reach vulnerable populations, and to accelerate control and elimination of neglected parasitic zoonoses across the Asia and the Pacific region.

To control zoonoses in an efficient, effective and sustainable way, it is important to understand the transmission cycle of each disease and to implement strategic interventions at key stages via multisectoral participation from public health, animal health, environmental health and food safety. Prevention and control of infection in animals is one of the critical means to reduce the burden of zoonoses in humans, therefore the animal health sector has a very important role to play. However, awareness and knowledge are often limited among veterinary authorities, public health practitioners, animal health practitioners and animal owners.

This handbook focuses on interventions that the animal health sector can implement to prevent human and animal disease caused by these parasites. It aims to provide up-to-date information in a concise form and is expected to encourage the relevant stakeholders to take actions to control and prevent neglected parasitic zoonoses. Although the handbook was written primarily for Asia and the Pacific region, the information is relevant in many other regions. We hope you find this handbook useful and practical.