Advancing Joint Risk Assessment using the One Health Approach in WHO South-East Asia Region. Report of the meeting. Colombo, Sri Lanka, 25 – 27 July 2023

Overview

Since 2017, the collaborative efforts of the Food and Agricultural Organization of United Nations, World Health Organization and the World Organisation for Animal Health have led to the development and roll-out of the Joint Risk Assessment (JRA) Operational Tool (OT), a practical instrument linked to the Tripartite Zoonoses Guide. This meeting was held to strengthen JRA using a One Health approach in the WHO South-East Asia Region. In the meeting, the countries shared good practices, lessons and challenges in conducting JRA, practiced the application of the Tripartite JRA OT and identified priority actions to further advance JRA to guide collaborative risk management activities using a One Health approach. The meeting recommended further strengthening JRA at the human–animal–environment interface by engaging multisectoral One Health stakeholders in the respective country context. It was suggested that actual application of JRA in the country may require a “learning by doing” approach.