The National One Health Workshop, organized by the Ministry of Health of Oman in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, began today. This event is supervised by Dr. Abdullah Ali Al-Amri, the head of the Environment Authority.
Goals and Participants
This three-day workshop is designed to create a sustainable national mechanism for intersectoral coordination in the One Health domain and to define clear roles and responsibilities. It is expected that 70 individuals related to the One Health approach from various sectors, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, Environment Authority, Muscat Municipality, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, the unit for monitoring the implementation of Oman Vision 2040, Public Services Regulatory Authority, as well as Sultan Qaboos University and Al-Sharqiya University and representatives from the private sector will participate in this workshop.
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Discussion Topics and Public Health Priorities
During the three days, this workshop will include interventions from representatives of the health and agriculture sectors as well as representatives from the Environment Authority and the World Health Organization, who will present their views on the importance of the One Health approach and its feasibility in the Sultanate of Oman. The workshop will include discussion panels to determine public health priorities in the Sultanate of Oman, develop a national One Health program, and prepare a report on the workshop outcomes.
This workshop promotes the intersectoral One Health approach and helps establish a One Health mechanism. Collecting information from relevant sectors regarding the use of this approach to address zoonotic diseases and other One Health challenges and developing an action plan to strengthen the One Health mechanism are among the other objectives of this workshop.
Zoonotic diseases that are transmitted between animals and humans impact health, livelihoods, and national and global health security. The importance of the One Health approach is clearly evident in addressing these diseases.
The One Health approach is an integrated global process that links human, animal, plant, and environmental health and enhances collaboration and coordination among various sectors and institutions to prevent and respond to health threats. Developing a transparent national program for this approach in the Sultanate of Oman contributes to integrating functions, coordinating intersectoral efforts and activities, and achieving related national goals.
This initiative is based on the rich history and previous efforts of the Sultanate of Oman in this area, particularly the development and activation of a national action plan on antimicrobial resistance, and hosting the third high-level ministerial conference and issuing the "Muscat Manifesto" to accelerate One Health actions. This step is also linked to the ongoing efforts of the National Committee for Integrated Pest Management.
Past national programs (such as pest control and antimicrobial resistance programs) have had a direct and decisive impact on the public health system; intersectoral coordination and rigorous epidemiological surveillance have led to a reduction in infection rates caused by pests, containment of outbreaks, and protection of the community through a data-driven preventive perspective.
It is noteworthy that the workshop is organized by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, the Environment Authority, the World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
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