Key Takeaways
- A delegation from FAO Pakistan met with EPA-KP to discuss One Health and environmental surveillance.
- The focus was on strengthening environmental surveillance in livestock-related facilities.
- FAO expressed interest in capacity building and technical training for EPA-KP.
A delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Pakistan, led by Dr. Pawin Padungtod and Dr. Kiyal Akmatbek, visited the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Agency (EPA-KP) to discuss One Health and explore avenues for future collaboration.
The meeting was received by Dr. Habib Ullah Jan, One Health Focal Person, and Afsar Khan on behalf of the director-general of EPA (KP).
The discussion centered on strengthening the environmental pillar of One Health, particularly emphasizing environmental surveillance and wastewater assessment associated with veterinary clinics, slaughterhouses, dairy farms, poultry farms, and other livestock-related facilities.
The potential role of environmental and wastewater surveillance in addressing antimicrobial resistance, infectious disease risks, and environmental health was also highlighted.
The interaction between climate change and environmental surveillance was discussed as an emerging area requiring integrated One Health approaches.
The FAO delegation appreciated the proposed areas of collaboration and expressed interest in working with EPA-KP on future initiatives, including potential support for capacity building and technical training.
EPA-KP remains committed to strengthening the environmental dimension of One Health through science-based surveillance, regulation, capacity building, and inter-sectoral collaboration.
The meeting marked a positive step towards advancing an integrated approach to human, animal, and environmental health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
