One-health approach for combating zoonoses
Recent research indicates that zoonotic diseases will continue to grow and become a leading cause of animal and human casualties. Thus, healthcare workers, including animal health workers, will increasingly face substantial challenges in controlling such diseases, as these zoonotic diseases will continue to evolve and develop into new strains of pathogens or completely new pathogens along with complex disease dynamics. This complex nature of diseases underpins the importance of an integrated One-Health Approach (OHA) to address zoonotic diseases. Thus, this approach has emerged as a specified field of disease prevention and control that aims to promote the overall well-being of humans, animals and the environment.
Although OHA has got a boost in many countries, it is rarely institutionalized. The lack of translation of scientific studies for the benefit of local communities has made people reluctant to follow OHA. It received greater attention from prominent organizations such as WHO, OIE, FAO, CDC and EU, leading to the development of a joint plan of action for the integration of OHA into national disease prevention and control strategies, giving rise to one-health organizations and integrated disease control models. Furthermore, many developed and developing countries have started to work on a one-health approach and developed legislations and laws to guide OH actions. Now, the gradual integration of the OHA is occurring across the various areas of prevention and control of diseases.
Despite the acknowledged importance of the one-health approach for effective prevention and control of diseases, the barriers to the implementation of OHA persist in many Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). These barriers include a lack of qualified one-health professionals, funding constraints, a silo mentality among all concerned stakeholders, lack of intersectoral collaboration and political will, absence of collaboration among all stakeholders and inadequate investment by the government to promote OHA. Furthermore, there exists a dearth of research that involves the cost-effectiveness of OHA. This absence of information is a serious limitation for assessing the usefulness of OHA, whose application in the field condition is extremely poor. This paucity of data might be due to several factors, including wildlife professionals being excluded from multidisciplinary one-health action committees or lacking resources/measures to effectively account for sociocultural systems. However, despite having such challenges, these challenges represent opportunities for better integration and implementation of OHA involving all stakeholders, ranging from policymakers to wildlife and environmental professionals.
The OH activities have historically been disregarded in many developed and developing countries. In addition, factors that affect the implementation of OHA are poorly understood. Lack of collaboration and communication among all concerned stakeholders are pervasive, and wildlife and environmental professionals are neglected in OH action policies. Furthermore, due to a limited understanding of OHA among ground-level stakeholders, implementation of OHA has not yielded intended results. Lack of qualified one-health professionals in the field conditions, coupled with inadequate infrastructure, has prevented instant action in the field conditions. Lack of awareness among the public regarding the OHA has led to a low level of public acceptance of OHA.
Effective prevention and control of diseases needs a comprehensive and systematic approach involving all stakeholders with multidisciplinary interventions. A growing body of knowledge has shown that an integrated OHA is a cost-effective way to prevent and control diseases. Thus, integration of OHA across all disciplines of governance in all three tiers of government as well as research in institutions is essential for effective OH action.
Long-term investments in awareness campaigns for stakeholder behavioral change, research on the cost-effectiveness of OHA, and collaborative partnerships are necessary if OHA is to be effective. A constant effort should be made to promote better knowledge and understanding of one-health issues in society either through awareness campaigns, rallies, seminars, and dissertation groups or through social media platforms. As there is an acute lack of one-health experts in many developing countries, the training of non-specialists under the supervision of one-health experts and strengthening their capacity in prevention and control of zoonotic diseases, disaster response, and risk reduction, data collection, and communication would be an effective approach. To raise awareness among public, school and university curricula should be updated with the inclusion of OHA.
Those students in school and university then can teach their parents about one-health issues through lessons learned in school. And, the parents by being aware of OH issues, can apply preventive and control measures to prevent disease occurrences. Therefore, students should be educated and supported to facilitate the implementation of one-health activities. Using education platforms could be a cost-effective method involving little or no financial resources, raising awareness to convey a message about one-health systems.
Healthcare professionals working in field conditions should be trained on OHA. Now, it is time for all countries to act together to achieve the goal of disease control and elimination as envisioned by One-Health policy documents by building a strong intersectoral collaboration, funding allocation, infrastructures, human resources as well as political commitments.
This OHA should be spearheaded by professional OH actors and/or societies to provide needed expertise to address OH issues. Furthermore, WHO, OIE and FAO should provide support for regional cooperation among countries to build a robust system of OHA plans for better preparedness in dealing with epidemics and preventing as well as controlling zoonotic diseases. Thus, it is high time to implement OHA to tackle infectious diseases.
The author is a Veterinary officer at the Department of Livestock Services (DLS)
50th anniversary of Korea-Nepal diplomatic relations
Fifty years ago, our countries embarked on a journey of friendship, understanding, and collaboration. Today, as we reflect on the past five decades, we can take pride in the progress we have achieved together. The journey of the last 50 years is a story of shared values, mutual respect, and a commitment to building a better future for our people.
The emblem is a symbol of the enduring friendship between our nations as well as collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Nepal and our Embassy in shaping a meaningful representation of this significant milestone. Today, as we unveil the result of cooperation between the Ministry and the Embassy, we can witness the strong bonds that have flourished over the past five decades.
This book stands not only as a testament to their individual journeys but also as a powerful symbol of the fruitful outcomes of bilateral employment cooperation. The 26 businessmen featured in this book are living proof that the exchange of skills and experiences can yield personal growth and substantial contribution to the economic landscape of Nepal. These 26 business owners are heroes to create jobs in Nepal and to inspire other returnees to have a dream. Each success of 26 heroes also started from their dream. Their stories exemplify the spirit of bilateral employment cooperation, demonstrating that collaboration between Korea and Nepal can be a powerful catalyst for personal and economic development. Thanks for your contribution for this book and joining today here.
As we celebrate this golden anniversary, we must also look ahead to the future. Our diplomatic ties have weathered the test of time. Now, more than ever, it is crucial for us to strengthen our cooperation for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The global landscape is ever-changing, and by deepening our collaboration, we can navigate together these changes with resilience and solidity.
I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the leaders and people of both Korea and Nepal for reaching this historic milestone. It is a testament to the dedication and commitment of countless individuals who have worked tirelessly to build bridges, foster understanding, and promote cooperation between our nations.
As we stand at the threshold of the next 50 years, let us envision a future where our nations continue to grow and prosper together. May the spirit of friendship and cooperation that has characterized the last five decades guide us in creating a world of shared prosperity, peace, and mutual understanding. May the next 50 years be filled with even greater achievements and closer collaboration between Korea and Nepal.
Statement delivered at the launching ceremony of commemorative log and book on success stories under EPS program
Time to preserve traditional ecological knowledge
As we have read an idiom ‘The child is father of the man’ from the poem ‘My Heart Leaps Up’ by William Wordsworth which clearly states that man is the product of habits and behavior developed in youth. Hence, in the formative years of life, parents and family members play a vital role in the life of the child and so, too, does the entire community in which they grow and traditional ecological knowledge as a whole. Generally, knowledge is embodied with the actors and in their practices, tools, and technologies, as well as in institutions. Knowledge is inherently dynamic, involving constant evolution of knowledge-based resources and processes for governing those resources.
The knowledge possessed by communities about the characteristics and management of their local environment are of particular interest for Western ecologists and sociologists. A few onomasticon ‘folk knowledge’, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and indigenous knowledge were developed to the aforementioned knowledge. In fact, Huntington defined it in 2000 as the knowledge and insights acquired through extensive observation of an area or a species, which may include knowledge passed down in an oral tradition or shared amongst users of a resource. In contrast to indigenous knowledge systems, TEK focuses on the interrelationships and communications of living entities with one another and their surrounding environment and TEK doesn't mandate for indigenous communities either.
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has identified the five key drivers of biodiversity loss: Changes in land and sea use; direct exploitation of natural resources; climate change; pollution; and invasion of alien species. Changes in land use have been identified as the main driver of “unprecedented” biodiversity and ecosystem change over the past 50 years. Three-quarters of the land-based environment has been altered by human interventions. TEK in diverse conditions may provide remedy in resource management while dealing with these worries for ecological crisis.
According to the World Bank’s ‘Global Economic Prospect Report,’ Nepal was expected to have an estimated growth rate of 5.8 per cent in the fiscal 2021-22. Though the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war led global supply chain disruptions and associated hindered economic activity, Nepal has been slowly experiencing a glimpse of infrastructure development despite soaring inflation, rampant unemployment, hiked interest rates, and the looming fears of a recession have been experienced. For example, the rate of hydropower dam construction on rivers, transmission lines, road construction, and the river diversion multipurpose project is increasing in Nepal. These large infrastructure projects are likely to have many negative consequences on TEK about associated ecosystem, ecosystem services that it provides, but have not yet received much consideration in environmental studies reports (environmental impact assessment/initial environmental examination). Compensation and relocation schemes of such developmental activities disregard the TEK that communities possess. The major reason for not considering TEK is probably due to the lack of robust legal provision or due to compensation and relocation focused approaches. Concomitantly, if these projects provide equal opportunities to document TEK and may provide guiding bases for future.
Transhumance practice of animal husbandry, harvesting of valuable non-timber forest products (NTFPs), sky burial of corpse management in the Mountain region; Slash and Burn Agriculture, sedentary and shifting cultivation practices and hedgerow practices in the Hill region; and the stall-fed system in the Tarai region are the most common examples of traditional ecological knowledge for resource management in Nepal that we have come across. During my childhood days in Kathmandu, Parma, may be due to sparse farm hands to work in the agriculture field, or may be limited working days in the rain fed fields due to lack of irrigation facilities is one of the practices that I had first experienced. Availability of immigrants from rural sectors in the time of civil war and associated livelihood diversification ceases these practices in my community. Successors of these practices in Kathmandu and other practices in the previous localities of immigrants have compounding impacts in the loss of TEK. Now, their way of linking, adapting and adjusting in the dynamic environment and compromising human livelihoods with people who have cherished cultural, traditional, environmental, economic, social, and political views may now become diverse among modern lifestyles. TEK is dependent on the communication of man with nature, which helped them thrive over thousands and millions of years.
In June 1992, five years after the Brundtland Report, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in its Rio Declaration stated that indigenous peoples have a vital role in environmental management and development, that their knowledge and traditional practices clearly established the relevance of indigenous peoples and the importance of protecting their rights in order to attain sustainable development.
Nepal is rich in biological resources and cultural resources and it is imperative that the country should take active legislative steps to protect the valuable TEK of the country. Concomitantly, Nepal signed two contradictory agreements i.e. TRIPS and CBD without absolute and concrete homework. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) applied on biodiversity are protected by the WTO TRIPs agreement (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights), and biodiversity objectives that are covered by the Convention on Biological Diversity, contradict each other on most accounts. Article 8(j) of CBD requires that the traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities be respected, preserved and maintained; that the use of such knowledge should be promoted for wider application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge; and that they should equitably share in the benefits which arise from the use of their knowledge. CBD also requires, in Article 10(c), that customary uses of biological resources in accordance with traditional cultural practices should be protected and encouraged.
Article 27.3(b) of TRIPs provides that members may exclude animals and plants from patentability, though microorganisms for products, and microbiological and non biological processes for plant and animal production, must be subject to patenting. For instance, patent on the use of turmeric in wound healing granted to the US was revoked as its use was already known and used in South Asia for centuries. India proved an absence of novelty via scientific literature through a costly and time-consuming legal process against this sort of probable biopiracy. Under the mandate of TRIPS, all the members have to either patent or legislate an “effective sui generis system” for the protection of plant varieties. By virtue of this compliance requirement, Nepal framed document like Nepal Biodiversity Strategy 2002, which identifies biodiversity registration that aims at documenting the rich traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples, sharing local knowledge of bioresources with other communities in the country and abroad for mutual benefit, and conserving local traditional knowledge for sustainable utilization and equitable sharing of the benefits of natural resources through active support and participation of local communities and recognizes the need to protect farmer’s rights. However, the document falls short as there has been no strategy to effectively implement its provisions.
Yet a substantial chunk of TEK of Nepali communities at grassroots level in the local community is not felt, hence prioritizing TEK has not been realized and such huge treasures of such knowledge remain unreported and hence are on the verge of being lost. The search for a sustainable economy is a global endeavor; for achieving these, as the need to conserve existing biodiversity and ecological processes becomes ever more pressing.
In the light of this, the government of Nepal, conservation partners and concerned stakeholders need to harp the importance of Nepal’s biological diversity and associated TEK and the concept of susceptibility toward bio-piracy and the biological resources. This scenario also calls for attention to the shortcomings of the legislation, or the lack thereof. TEK in the form of intergenerational learning and knowledge transfer may be particularly useful in situations where a community has co-existed for an extended period of time with one or more endangered species with the purpose to avoid the “knowledge crash.” The recent country’s priority species conservation action plan even failed to prioritize TEK as an important objective. So, it might be an opportunity to include TEK as an important component of any species conservation plan. Concomitantly, Sub-section 11(j) of Section 102 of the Local Government Operation Act, 2018 has the provision of formulating, implementing, and monitoring the local-level policy, and plan, related to biodiversity conservation in municipal jurisdiction as duty, responsibility, and rights of the rural municipality. This might add another brick in the wall for the conservation of TEK.
Martyr’s week for forgotten families
As we celebrate this week as martyr’s week, it’s crucial to reflect on the forgotten heroes and their families. Historically, a martyr is someone who sacrifices their life for a sacred cause. Martyrs are our heroes. As Benjamin Disraeli eloquently stated, “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.”
Deserving more than words
On 21 Sept 2023, during a program organized by the Martyrs’ and Disappeared Warriors Children’s Foundation in Sindhuli, I encountered the families of martyrs—vulnerable, elderly, illiterate, with no income, deprived of information, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and grappling with medical conditions. Despite these challenges, the children displayed exceptional natural intellect, particularly in the fields of law, engineering, agriculture and journalism—key positions that hold the potential to reform the country. It is crucial for the government to recognize and harness their potential through placements or further grooming, ensuring they contribute meaningfully to society.
In 2020, BMC International Health and Human Rights published a journal on the quality of life (QOL) of women from families of martyred individuals in Iraq. The study underscored the significance of QOL for the conflict-affected. The families of martyrs may carry an inner sense of pride for the supreme sacrifices made by their sons, husbands, and parents, but their QOL remains below par. They deserve more.
For CNN and the Times, the concept of ‘heroes’ might vary—they declare heroes annually. However, for Nepalis, our heroes are the families who continue to walk with pride, fully aware that their loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice for the country. Yet, their QOL needs improvement; some are oblivious to a government led by the ‘Maoist’ party. A prevailing concern is that these families do not sense a connection to government ministers led by the same leaders for whom their children and parents gave their lives.
International practices
International practices provide noteworthy examples. India not only compensates them financially but also offers jobs for their next of kin. On 26 July 2023, “The Times of India” reported that the next of kin of 19 martyrs were appointed to different government jobs on the grounds of compassion. Azerbaijan went further, providing separate housing for about 9,200 families of martyrs and distributing more than 7,200 cars to war-disabled individuals. Even conflict-torn countries like Afghanistan and Libya have passed bills honoring the martyrs and their family members. Afghanistan has a dedicated ministry overseeing the welfare of the martyrs’ families.
Nepal’s peace process
The recent visit of the UN Secretary-General to Nepal accentuates the urgency of bringing the peace process to a logical conclusion, an outcome incomplete without acknowledging the martyrs’ contributions. All leaders and dignitaries pledged support during his visit, and the time is now to translate those commitments into tangible action.
Article 42 (5) of Nepal’s Constitution guarantees the families of martyrs essential rights in education, health, employment, housing, and social security, accompanied by justice and respect. While martyrs receive commendable recognition at remembrance events, such as shawls and certificates, the focus must shift from being a platform for political speeches. These families, who are more than just affiliated with any political party, represent the nation’s heroes. Their sacrifices have granted us the freedom of expression and the ability to openly critique authorities. It is crucial that their status remains a national issue rather than being exploited for political gain.
The government must guarantee that the next of kin are not only honored as national martyrs but also provided benefits such as tax exemption, housing, placement in public services, employment, and, most importantly, free access to health and education. This is the minimum the nation can do to honor those martyrs who sacrificed their lives, bequeathing us the freedom and democracy we cherish today.
