Positioning One Health as a national priority

Challenges in intersectoral coordination

"While central-level policies are relatively well-coordinated, many localities still face limitations," said Ms. Nguyen To Nhu, Director of the USAID project "Enhancing local capacity in disease prevention, surveillance, and response." She added that some provinces, like Dong Nai, have implemented coordinated action plans between veterinary and health sectors. However, in many other areas, information and data are only shared when an outbreak occurs.

Ms. Nhu emphasized that to build an effective intersectoral data-sharing system, there needs to be consensus between the two ministries co-chairing the partnership framework, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. At the same time, an intersectoral rapid response team model must also be established to enhance the ability to respond quickly and effectively.

According to Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of the International Cooperation Department, the One Health initiative has received significant attention at the central level from researchers and international development partners. However, at the local level, awareness of the initiative is still limited, and its practices have not been implemented uniformly.

The biggest challenge is how to ensure that policies and activities under programs and projects translate into real-life actions, especially for farmers, consumers, and local authorities. To address these issues, there needs to be stronger connection between the central and local levels, while also promoting intersectoral funding, building effective coordination mechanisms, and conducting widespread communications to raise awareness and enhance implementation capabilities at all levels.

The One Health Partnership as a national priority

According to representatives from the World Bank (WB), the One Health framework needs to focus on addressing issues such as the increasing demand for animal protein, the confinement of wildlife, and climate change, key drivers of zoonotic diseases.

In the context of 2030 being the year for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) assessment, One Health should not just be an initiative, but must become a national priority with stronger legal frameworks than the current Circular 16, to help Vietnam achieve its development goals.

During the discussion at the One Health High-Level Forum, Mr. Tong Xuan Chinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Livestock, provided an evaluation of the results from domestic and international organizations, which align with the approved framework. However, as the period from 2025-2030 approaches, several proposals need to be considered:

Firstly, international organizations view the transmission of diseases from animals to humans as a crucial issue. It is necessary to clearly identify the sources of pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, in order to develop technical solutions and effectively assess risks. The collaboration between the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Natural Resources and Environment will help build a robust surveillance system and assess the evolution of diseases over different phases, as seen in the case of H5N1 avian flu.

Secondly, coordination efforts are essential, especially in controlling epidemics and ensuring food safety. Therefore, consideration should be given to developing a shared database, digitizing information, and creating useful communication tools so that agencies, international organizations, and sectors can stay updated and take appropriate actions.

Thirdly, the government’s multi-sectoral, interdisciplinary approach and clear orientation on coordination between ministries for the coming period should specify responsibilities and tasks to optimize coordination effectiveness and management.