What went on last month (March 2021) in One Health?
Horizon Europe was launched in February with a budget of 95.5 billion €. The EC issued a press release stating the priorities of Horizon Europe. The 4 “strategic orientations for research and innovation investments” are:
Promoting an open strategic autonomy by leading the development of key digital, enabling and emerging technologies, sectors and value chains;
Restoring Europe's ecosystems and biodiversity, and managing sustainably natural resources;
Making Europe the first digitally enabled circular, climate-neutral and sustainable economy;
Creating a more resilient, inclusive and democratic European society.
It looks like most of these objectives have to do with sustainability. It comes as no surprise then that this was a hot topic last month, with the Council starting negotiations with the Parliament to agree on the 8th Environmental Action Programme, which builds upon the Green Deal.
To have an idea on the environmental, or more precisely the climate action policies of the EU, the Parliament Think Tank published a report, which covers the policy, but also the scientific and economical aspects of climate change.
Another major update of the EU concerned the EU4Health programme. There was a long debate over the budget of EU4Health (a brief overview of the negotiations here). Initially the EC proposed a budget of 10.4bl, then the Council cut it to 1.7bl €. It was then decided to add an additional 3.4bl €, resulting in a final budget of around 5.1bl €. Now the European Parliament voted the programme. Once the programme is adopted by the European Council it will enter into force.
“By investing €5.1 billion, therefore becoming the largest health programme ever in monetary terms, EU4Health will provide funding to EU countries, health organisations and NGOs.
EU4Health aims to:
Make health systems more resilient to deal with cross-border health threats like COVID-19 and improve crisis management capacity;
Make the European Health Union a reality by investing in cancer care, better pandemic preparedness, availability of medicines and innovation; and
Boost digital health and disease prevention.”
On the 24th of March there was a stakeholders’ consultation workshop (a 6-hour tour de force!) with rather interesting presentations and discussions. You can find the recording and presentations here
Concerning AMR…
EFSA released its report on residues of veterinary products in animals and animal products, that, consistent with previous years, shows a relatively low presence of antimicrobials. Only “0.14% of the samples analysed under the Directive 96/23/EC monitoring were non-compliant. The highest frequency of non-compliant samples for antibacterials was found in honey (0.98%).”
The EC re-launched the EU AMR One-Health Network, put at halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic (here some material of the meeting), in which AMR aspects of new EU initiatives, e.g. HERA, were discussed. Interestingly this time also the environmental sector was invited. To be noted that for the first time (at least to my knowledge) the alliance between FAO, OIE, WHO and UNEP is referred to as Quadripartite, not as Tripartite Plus, reflecting the soon-to-be formalised full of membership of UNEP. Yet again another major case of the environment taking its rightful place next to the animal and human sector in a One Health initiative.
Moving to COVID-19…
The European Council, together with the WHO and 20 world leaders, highlighted the importance of recognising the One Health approach to prevent and respond to pandemics, as well as the importance of cross-border collaboration under the international treaty for pandemic preparedness and response.
“There will be other pandemics and other major health emergencies. No single government or multilateral agency can address this threat alone”