News in bief Quarter II.2016

1. On 16 April 2016, the Meeting of Health Ministers on Antimicrobial Resistance was held in Tokyo, Japan with the participation of 12 Ministers of Health and many officials and technical experts coming from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture of participating countries. Viet Nam’s Minister of Health, Mdm. Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, led Viet Nam’s delegation to the conference. At the meeting, the Ministers of Health, WHO representatives and other participants discussed global, regional and country efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance; the risks to humans, animals and the environment originating from improper use of antibiotics; as well as the relationship between antibiotic resistance and global health security. At the conclusion of the conference, the Tokyo Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance was adopted as a commitment to: building a health system which is capable of rapid response, promoting multidisciplinary coordination and international cooperation at the national, regional and global levels, and cooperating closely with UN agencies and international organizations in the prevention of drug resistance in order to protect people's health. (According to vietnamplus.vn)

2. World Veterinary Day 2016: continuing education with a One Health focus: The performance of veterinary services plays a crucial role in each country, not only to successfully control diseases but also for tackling disease prevention and food safety issues and effectively preventing and controlling biological disasters. The World Veterinary Day was held on 30 April 2016, with the theme of “Continuing Education with a One Health focus”. It focused on how veterinarians can continue their professional education to increase their expertise on One Health topics such as zoonotic diseases, food safety or antimicrobial resistance, and how they collaborate with the human health sector to tackle these issues. On this occasion, the World Veterinary Association (WVA) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) launched a competition to reward the most successful contribution by the veterinary profession in the past year. This year’s recipient of the World Veterinary Day Award is the Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association, for its project focusing on addressing issues in One Health, particularly Antimicrobial Resistance, involving participants throughout the veterinary network of Caribbean countries.

3. From 14 -16 June 2016, a Workshop on One Health training programs and Mainstreaming gender in One Health and Emerging Pandemic Threats was convened by VOHUN in Hue, Viet Nam. At the seminar, representatives of VOHUN’s 17 member universities presented their progress in implementing and applying a One Health approach in their curriculum. The main approach that most of universities are applying is to integrate One Health aspects into their existing programs and to gradually build an independent One Health subject. In addition, students are encouraged to participate in community internships, and to organize and take part in One Health Clubs. What is more, the curriculum of each university has also been adapted to the conditions of the region. The workshop particularly focused on how to apply a gender perspective in the development of the One Health workforce in Viet Nam. These efforts are expected to gradually satisfy the need for a One Health workforce in the society, knowing that Viet Nam is actively developing theGlobal Health Security Agenda Roadmap and the Viet Nam One Health Strategic Plan, 2016-2020 for the country.

4. The One Health Communication Network (OHCN) Meeting for Quarter I/2016 hosted by the OHP Secretariat included presentations and discussion on several topics related to One Health, including: Antibiotic resistance in Viet Nam (the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology - NIHE), Communication activities in preventing Zika virus in Viet Nam (the General Department of Preventive Medicine - GDPM), Agricultural extension communication activities for One Health (National Agricultural Extension Centre - NAEC) as well as an update on some highlighted activities in quarter I of the OHP Secretariat. This regular meeting has always drawn the attention of Network members and is expanding to a wider range of stakeholders. It creates an opportunity for partners to share information and to provide updates on their communication events and activities in the One Health field. The meeting of Quarter II of the OHCN will be held on 24 June in Hanoi.

5. From 26 – 29 June 2016, in Bali, Indonesia, World Bank and WHO respectively host High Level Meetings on the following themes: (i) Integrated Financing and Regional Cooperation for Pandemic Preparedness and (ii) Advancing Global Health Security: From Commitments to Actions. Both meetings will convene representatives from government institutions, the private sector, academia, regional institutions and development agencies from countries in Asia and the Pacific. The objective of the first Meeting is to review health financing tools and identify opportunities for regional learning and knowledge exchange as well as to explore the roles of regional organizations in strengthening pandemic preparedness to address trans-border health threats. The objective of the second Meeting is to (ii) Review and agree on a roadmap in building capacity for country health emergency preparedness of the Member States. The representatives of Viet Nam attending the Meetings are the leaders of focal point Government agencies in the guidance and implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) in Viet Nam, thereby showing Viet Nam’s effort and strong commitment in strengthening Pandemic Preparedness and contributing to global health security.