The International Society for Infectious Diseases has created an initiative where the One Health Perspective is going to be discussed and given platform to try combat issues contributing to it. This initiative is the 20th International Congress on Infectious Diseases (ICID 2024) and is going to give experts the platform to bring light on the One Health Approach and define it a lot clearer.
By: Lesego Kgatle
One Health Approach
Shedding light on the One Health Perspective is recognizing the link between humans, animals, and the environment. Understanding this integration is important for addressing complex health challenges that the world is facing. Since 2003, the world has seen over 15 million human deaths and great loss of quality of life from food and water safety hazards, which are One Health-related health threats. Collaboration across sectors and disciplines through the One Health Approach furthers the infectious disease control by integrating human, animal, and environmental health. This approach provides a holistic understanding of disease transmission fluctuations and ecological influences on Infectious Diseases such as Malaria and Dengue.
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
The ISID, founded in 1986, is a society that recognizes the intersection of infectious diseases in humans, animals, and plants, and that effective long-term solutions require international scientific exchange and cooperation. Their mission is to support health professionals, non-government organizations, and governments around the world in their work to prevent, investigate, and manage infectious disease outbreaks when they occur. The ISID has a particular focus in countries that have limited resources, and those that bear the burden of infectious diseases. Paul Tambyah, the President of the International Society for Infectious Diseases said: “While it is challenging to attribute specific advancements solely to this approach, one notable example is the repurposing of the feline infectious peritonitis drug Nirmatrelvir, originally used for treating cats, into Paxlovid, now widely used for treating SARS-CoV-2 in humans.” While ISID has contributed a lot to Infectious Disease education and science, challenges remain with diseases like rabies and cholera. The removal of rinderpest stands as a major veterinary public health achievement, paving the way for a One Health Approach to combat other long-standing diseases affecting humans and animals.
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20th International Congress on Infectious Diseases (ICID 2024)
The 20th International Congress on Infectious Diseases (ICID 2024) will take place in December, where over 2500 experts who are on the frontline of the battle against these diseases will meet at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). The ICID Ubuntu Community village will create a platform where activists and patient groups will interact with researchers, clinicians, and public health professionals. The ISID is dedicated to developing partnerships and finding solutions to the problems of Infectious Diseases across the globe and encourages human, veterinary, and environmental health communities working locally, nationally, and globally to work together for the best control of infectious diseases. In addition, there are competitive grants offered to researchers from low-resource settings to allow them to participate in the Congress and also share their work onsite at the event.