The contribution of veterinarians in global health security: Using lessons learnt during Rift Valley fever outbreaks to strenghen multicsectoral coordination in countries for the response to zoonotic events

Abstract

Multisectoral coordination is critical during zoonotic events, but often challenging when not developed in advance. Using the example of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) response plans and focusing on the coordination between the animal health and human health sectors, this paper describes some of these challenges and also some benefits of a multisectoral approach when appropriately adopted. An operational framework has been jointly developed by FAO and WHO and used during several outbreaks for RVF. This framework could also be used for other zoonotic diseases. WHO, OIE and FAO are working together to increase the contribution of veterinarians in the implementation of the International Health Regulations, one of the most important tools for the strengthening of national detection and response capacities for public health emergencies and global health security.