Major ILRI-CGIAR-livestock contributions at the recent World One Health Congress in Cape Town
The focus of this year's World One Health Congress (WOHC), held in Cape Town, South Africa, 20–23 Sep 2024, was on improving human health by taking a holistic approach that considers the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. The Congress—the world’s largest forum dedicated to advancing the One Health agenda and community—comprised more than 1,400 participants from 87 countries, 400 speakers across 70 sessions, and 600 scientific posters. This was the first time this Congress, the eighth in an annual series, took place in Africa.
The International Livestock Research Institute's (ILRI) made major contributions to the Congress, including its launch of a landmark report on the wild meat trade and a keynote speech by ILRI's director general, Appolinaire Djikeng, on leveraging One Health approaches for resilient food systems.
CGIAR and ILRI approach to One Health
The Congress showcased the CGIAR One Health Initiative, a flagship program emphasizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health within the context of transforming food systems. ILRI's livestock-focused One Health research covers three focus areas:
• ILRI's zoonotic disease research addresses the critical links between animal health and the emergence of infectious zoonotic diseases in humans, such as COVID-19, avian influenza (bird flu) and Rift Valley fever.
• ILRI's antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research addresses the over- and mis-use of antimicrobial drugs in livestock and aquaculture, which is a significant driver of the growing development of drug-resistant infections in both people and livestock.
• ILRI's food safety research works to improve food safety standards across the food supply chain, particularly in the largely unregulated 'informal' and 'traditional' food markets that are ubiquitous across the Global South.
ILRI Director General Appolinaire Djikeng speaking at the World One Health Congress 2024, in Cape Town, South Africa (photo credit: ILRI/Hung Nguyen).
Leveraging innovation for resilient food systems
In his keynote address, ILRI Director General Appolinaire Djikeng argued for adopting a One Health lens in research and development work to build resilient food, land, and water systems. He highlighted CGIAR’s role in developing and implementing solutions for such complex and 'wicked' global challenges as global food insecurity, climate change and unsustainable agricultural systems.
Launch of ILRI's 'Wild Meat' report
ILRI launched a landmark report at the Congress: Eating wild animals: The rewards are as big as the risks (see the ILRI blog article by Annabel Slater and the ILRI brief and full report).
The evidenced-based report examines the complex interplay of human, animal, and environmental factors surrounding the consumption of meat from wild animals in the major regions of sub-Saharan Africa and East and Southeast Asia. The report shows how the growing but often hidden trade in wild meat presents both risks and rewards to human and environmental well-being and offers some ways forward for implementing ways to make the trade more sustainable, healthy and humane.
ILRI's report also introduces an 'Eco-Epi-Well-Wel' approach that joins up ecological ('Eco') and epidemiological ('Epi') expertise with concerns for both human well-being ('Well') and animal welfare ('Wel') to promote practices that are:
• Fairer: Ensuring equitable access to resources and benefits.
• Safer: Minimizing health risks associated with hunting, butchering and eating wild animals.
• More sustainable: Protecting biodiversity and promoting responsible hunting practices.
Engaging the private sector and young researchers
This year's World One Health Congress saw increased participation from the private sector, with companies like the global animal health company Zoetis and the American biotechnology company Illumina engaging in the One Health dialogues. This signals a growing recognition of the interconnectedness of human, animal, and planetary health within a business context. Furthermore, the Congress provided valuable exposure to young researchers, particularly from Africa. This participation is crucial for fostering a new generation of One Health advocates and practitioners.
Looking ahead: Integrating environmental dimensions and global advocacy
While this year's Congress highlighted significant advancements in One Health, the participants identified key areas for improvement, including:
• Strengthening the environmental dimension: Greater involvement of the environmental sector and use of environmental expertise are needed to fully address the complex interplay between ecosystem health and human and animal well-being.
• Global advocacy: Amplifying the One Health message within international forums like the United Nations is crucial for driving policy changes and securing resources for a holistic approach to global health challenges.
