Event Highlight: ID Alliance Convenes One Health Experts on Food and Water Safety Challenges
- Efremia Konstantinou
- Apr 25
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 9
27 March 2025 - The Infectious Disease Alliance hosted the first webinar for the One Health Committee titled "Bridging One Health Horizons: Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases in a Changing World". The webinar brought together global experts, policymakers and researchers to explore collaborative approaches for addressing foodborne and waterborne diseases under the One Health approach.
Foodborne and waterborne illnesses account for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries. Factors like extreme weather, unsustainable agricultural practices, and gaps in water sanitation have exacerbated disease incidence. The One Health framework, linking human, animal, and environmental health, provides a comprehensive pathway for addressing these interconnected issues.
The floor was handed over to the speakers, who each discussed their organisations and their role in the field of One Health. The speakers and their topics of discussion were as follows:
Dr. Omar Sultan (from WHO and ZAHRI): Foodborne and waterborne diseases in a changing world
Dr. Charles Akataobi Michael (from Africa CDC): Exploring the Climate Change Nexus with Food and Waterborne Diseases in a Changing World
Dr. Carmen Varela Santos (from ECDC): One Health: a European perspective
Dr. Victor Enejoh Daniel (from CABI): Bridging One Health horizons: Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases in a Changing World: A LMIC perspective
After the presentations of the speakers, a Q&A session followed where the webinar participants had the opportunity to ask their questions to the speakers. The webinar ended with a summary of key takeaways, the outlining of next steps and the highlight of the Call to Action for the mitigation of the impact of foodborne and waterborne infections. IDA would like to thank all the speakers and participants for contributing to such an insightful and timely discussion. The feedback and comments discussed at the webinar will be incorporated into IDA's policy strategy.
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