Azerbaijan has taken significant steps in the national biosurveillance and biodefense with the One Health approach, the Deputy Agriculture Minister, Sarvan Jafarov, said on Thursday, July 25, 2024, during his speech at the symposium entitled “One Health Uncovered: Preparing for COP29 with Intersectoral Insights”.
The deputy minister said that the government is fighting against diseases such as smallpox, anthrax, brucellosis, swine fever, horse flu and rabies and funds a range of control measures to protect animal health, including vaccination.
Jafarov noted that threats to the ecosystem have been rising.
“The fact that most of the pathogens detected during the last 50 years are of zoonotic-animal origin and related to wild animals is also an indication of this. Considering the interdependence of humans, domestic animals and wild animals, as well as plants, different sectors must join efforts for a common goal.”
He stressed that within the framework of COP 29, together with international partners, both the implementation status and future prospects of the initiatives put forward in the previous COP events regarding the One Health concept will be reviewed.
“The Ministry of Agriculture, while supporting all the initiatives put forward to protect our world from global threats, has contributed to the measures implemented within the framework of those initiatives. The ministry will continue to support and cooperate with such initiatives in the future,” the deputy minister added.
Balarahim Guliyev, Deputy Chairman of the Food Safety Agency (AQTA), said that a conference dedicated to the One Health approach will be held within the framework of COP29.
Guliyev emphasised that, in the era of globalisation, it is crucial for all countries worldwide to work together in a collaborative framework to implement the One Health concept, address the challenges posed, ensure the health of the global population, make safe food accessible to all, and protect the ecological balance of the environment.
The deputy chairman added that that this issue will be a priority at the international COP29 event to be held in Azerbaijan.
“The Agency has already proposed holding a conference dedicated to the One Health approach within the framework of the Food, Agriculture, and Water Day, which is included in the program for the COP29 event on November 19, both in the blue and green zones,” he said, adding that official appeals have been addressed in this regard.
