WP4 One Health

The objective of WP4 is to support Joint Action partners in developing One Health surveillance structures with integration of data/signals from the human, animal, and environmental domains. With the aim to enhance:

• the capability of detecting (re)emerging pathogens with zoonotic potential and performing public health risk assessments;
• source identification of outbreaks;
• research into targeting interventions.

The work of this WP is organized over 3 tasks focusing on foodborne disease, zoonotic influenza, and vector-borne disease. Within each of the 3 tasks, 3 subtasks will be carried out concerning goal definition (signaling/surveillance, selection of pathogens, etc.) and stakeholder analysis; systems mapping; and piloting promising approaches. The first two subtasks will be executed jointly across the main tasks to ensure a common approach and methodology. Sub-task leaders will interact with the co-leaders of the 3 tasks.

It is recognized that different member states are at a different stage regarding One Health surveillance. This allows member states that place early in the process to learn from member states with more advanced One Health surveillance systems. Depending on the level of development, member states can thus proceed at different pace throughout the WP.

The organization of the tasks by disease group ensures concentration of disease-group specific expertise regarding stakeholders, types of data, specific barriers, data flows, laboratory diagnostics, public health response actions (e.g., food tracing vs blood and transplant safety actions etc.) while the two cross-cutting subtask enable working across disease-type-siloes. The pilots on promising approaches will lead to a description of best practices (case studies) which may pave the way for a potential European-wide approach.

Last year, participating countries identified and prioritized key players using stakeholder analysis. Workshops were then held, together with stakeholders, to create a map that illustrates how the One Health Surveillance systems operates, define roles and responsibilities, and identify points for improvement. This year, countries are working to set up or improve their One Health Surveillance system in order to address locally relevant needs.