Dr. Pawin Padungtod honored for driving One Health success

On April 10, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien received and presented a commemorative medal to Dr. Pawin Padungtod, Senior Coordinator and International Expert on Infectious Diseases (FAO Viet Nam).

Looking back over nearly a decade, the Deputy Minister affirmed Dr. Pawin’s significant contributions across many key areas: from strengthening disease surveillance systems, developing laboratory capacity, and training field epidemiology, to combating antimicrobial resistance, enhancing biosecurity in livestock production, and promoting the One Health approach in Viet Nam.

Dr. Pawin has been a colleague and partner who has worked closely with Viet Nam for nearly 10 years. The training programs, surveillance systems, and policies he helped develop and refine during this time will continue to deliver impact for many years to come.

"What we value most is not only the number of projects, programs, or technical reports, but the dedication and sincere affection that he devoted to Vietnam. He always worked in a constructive spirit, with respect, attentiveness, and a constant desire for the best outcomes for Viet Nam’s systems," the Ministry leader stated.

On behalf of the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Deputy Minister expressed his sincere and profound gratitude to Dr. Pawin Padungtod for his significant, sustained, and dedicated contributions to Viet Nam over the years.

Dr. Pawin said he was honored to receive the prestigious commemorative medal of the agriculture and environment sector. He noted that this recognition was not only for him personally, but also a shared achievement of all FAO staff over the past decade.

On this occasion, he extended his heartfelt thanks to the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and development partners for their continued and effective support for FAO Viet Nam’s activities. He also expressed his deep affection for Viet Nam and its people, describing the country as a warm “second home” for his family.

He noted that Viet Nam possesses an exceptionally talented human resource base, along with strong institutional commitment and a clear aspiration for sustainable development. A clear example is the One Health program, under which Viet Nam was among the first countries to issue a circular requiring coordination between the health and agriculture sectors in preventing zoonotic diseases, and the first in the Western Pacific Region (WPRO) to launch a National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

"The establishment of the One Health Partnership in 2016 affirmed Viet Nam’s leading role in linking health, agriculture, and the environment," the FAO expert remarked.

Sharing his experience, Dr. Pawin highlighted three fundamental factors. First, sustainable change must originate from within, with solutions tailored to local contexts and supported by international organizations. Second, long-term partnerships are essential to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of cooperation programs. Third, human resource development is the core factor that determines the success of any development strategy.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien expressed his hope that, in his new position, Dr. Pawin will continue to accompany and support Viet Nam, further mobilize resources, knowledge, and international initiatives, and, to the extent possible, continue to prioritize and extend his support to Viet Nam, as he has done throughout the past years.

Dr. Pawin Padungtod has coordinated the implementation of more than 27 technical projects.

Since taking up his post in 2016, in his role as Senior Coordinator at FAO, Dr. Pawin Padungtod has made outstanding contributions to strengthening Viet Nam’s capacity to reduce public health risks and develop the livestock sector. Through the One Health approach, his leadership and technical support have directly advanced implementation across the agrifood system and driven sustainable livestock transformation in Viet Nam.