GUWAHATI, June 19 - Almost 75 per cent of the emerging diseases reported globally during the last three decades originated from animals, necessitating a composite approach to address the health issues affecting both man and animal.
This was opined by Prof Probodh Borah, head of the Department of Animal Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara here, at a function organised on Saturday to mark the 10th foundation day of Just Be Friendly (JBF), a national-level trust working on animal welfare and related issues.
Prof Borah, while speaking on the topic �One Health-the way forward�, said, �We need to have a healthy environment and healthy animals to ensure healthy people. The threat of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases is ominous.�
While dwelling on the subject, he said that the concept of �One Health� is the collaborative effort aimed at attaining optimal health for people, domestic animals, wildlife, plants and the environment in a cohesive manner.
�While the concept came into being in 2007, it is slowly but surely becoming an international movement and the idea is to build a linkage between human and animal health system for pandemic preparedness and human health security,� Prof Borah stated.
He also dwelt on the issue of human population growth, as a result of which more and more people are coming in close contact with wild and domestic animals, thereby becoming more vulnerable to diseases.
Dr Sashanka Shekhar Dutta, managing trustee of JBF, also spoke on different aspects of the concept of �One Health�. State Minister for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Atul Bora also attended the function.
