A Survey on One Health Approach in Colombia and Some Latin American Countries: From a Fragmented Health Organization to an Integrated Health Response to Global Challenges

Abstract

The “One Health” (OH) approach has been recognized by world health authorities such as FAO/OIE/WHO, advocating for effective, multi-sectoral, and transdisciplinary collaboration. However, there is a lack of published evidence of the awareness of the OH concept in Colombia and other countries in the Latin American Region. In order to explore existing collaboration amongst the animal health, human-public health, environmental health sectors, and to describe the perception, knowledge, and barriers on OH in Colombia and other countries of Latin America, an online questionnaire-based survey was distributed among key professionals representing the three OH pillars (August 2018–August 2020). Overall, 76 key respondents from 13 countries (Colombia, México, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Perú, Guatemala, Nicaragua Uruguay, and Venezuela) completed the questionnaire. Respondents worked in institutions of animal (59%), public (20%), human (7%), and environmental health (7%); they mainly belonged to higher academic institutions (59%), followed by ministries (11%), and research organizations (9%). Most participants (92%) were familiar with the OH term and 68% were aware of the formal cooperation among sectors in their countries, mostly on zoonoses; in 46% of the cases, such connections were established in the last 5 years. The main reported limiting factors to intersectorality were the lack of commitment of policy-makers, resources, and budget for OH (38%) and the “siloed approach” of sectors and disciplines (34%). Respondents ranked a median score of 3.0 (1–5 scoring) in how good OH activities are implemented in their countries, and a median score of 2.0 in the citizen awareness on OH as regards their countries. The most important OH issues were identified in vector-borne diseases, rabies, wrong and/or improper use of antimicrobials, emerging viral diseases, food-borne diseases, neglected parasitic diseases, deforestation, and ecosystem fragmentation. Although there is a high-perceived importance on conjoint cooperation, OH implementation, and operationalization remain weak, and the environmental component is not well-integrated. We consider that integration and implementation of the OH Approach can support countries to improve their health policies and health governance as well as to advocate the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the Region.

Multi-, Inter-, and Transdisciplinarity within the Public Health Workforce: A Scoping Review to Assess Definitions and Applications of Concepts

“…A total of fourteen articles mentioned all three concepts [ 38 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 ] and six of these articles provided a definition for one or more of the concepts [ 73 , 74 , 76 , 77 , 82 , 84 ].…”

From theory to practice: Analyzing factors that foster the successful implementation of the one health approach for enhancing health security in Cameroon

“…However, the availability of open online courses and educational materials on the One Health approach has increased, providing individuals with greater access to high-quality content [ 19 ]. The lack of knowledge and training in the human health sector and the absence of comprehensive training programs are reported as barriers to the implementation of the One Health approach [ 12 ]. Therefore, there is a need for increased sensitization and awareness among One Health stakeholders regarding the existing training opportunities to enhance their capacities.…”

“…Therefore, there is a need for increased sensitization and awareness among One Health stakeholders regarding the existing training opportunities to enhance their capacities. During the management of public health emergencies in Cameroon, it is noteworthy that other sectors actively participate in ad hoc trainings, a practice supported by several authors [ 12 , 17 , 18 , 22 ]. The lack of communication between sectors and the “siloed approach” has been identified as a significant constraint to the successful implementation of the One Health approach [ 15 , 18 , [23] , [24] , [25] ].…”

“…The identification of factors and conditions facilitating the effective implementation of the One Health initiative is crucial for informed decision-making and the improvement of policies, partnerships, and practices [ 10 ]. While previous studies have described the institutionalization process of multisectoral coordination mechanisms, few have explored the factors influencing successful implementation of the One Health approach, limiting the ability to learn from past experiences [ [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] ].…”

Alianzas públicas, privadas y público-privadas para implementar Una Salud como acción contra la resistencia antimicrobiana en Colombia

“…En la Región de las Américas, el concepto se está difundiendo con rapidez, y se han generado marcos y mecanismos de gobernanza para el enfoque Una Salud ( 2 ) con seis líneas de acción estratégica; sin embargo, aún existen brechas frente a cómo aplicar este enfoque. Entre las barreras identificadas para su implementación se encuentran las dinámicas de poder entre los grupos humanos, la falta de compromiso y construcción de consenso de los formuladores de políticas, los recursos y el presupuesto limitados y múltiples aproximaciones desde los diferentes sectores y disciplinas involucradas ( 3 , 4 ).…”