RIVM, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) and the Netherlands Centre for One Health (NCOH) are involved in a recently granted One Health European Joint Programme which will start in January 2018. The aim of the One Health EJP is to create a sustainable European One Health framework by integration and alignment of medical, veterinary and food institutes through joint programming of research agendas matching the needs of European and national policy makers and stakeholders. In the Netherlands these organisations are already collaborating closely to counteract the threat of emerging zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance. The Dutch One Health approach can now also be deployed at EU (European Union) level.
RIVM is responsible for the Strategic Research Agenda of the One Health EJP. WBVR has co-responsibility for the Joint Research Projects and the Educational Work package involving PhD students. Both RIVM, WBVR and the NCOH-partners Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UMCU, Erasmus MC and Wageningen University participate in several One Health EJP joint research and integrative projects. This will further intensify the One Health collaborations within the Netherlands. Programme leader is the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Anses.
Main focus
The One Health concept recognises that the human health is tightly connected to the health of animals and the environment, i.e. that animal feed, human food, animal and human health and environmental contamination are closely linked. The study of infectious agents (bacteria and microbiological toxins, viruses) that may cross these barriers is the main focus of the new European Joint Programme (EJP), which is a relatively novel H2020 instrument promoted by the EU (European Union).
Network
Typically, per participating member state, one organisation from the public health / medical domain and one from the food / veterinary domain dealing with infectious diseases are associated within this network of 41 reference laboratories and research centres, allocated in 19 member states. These laboratories represent a solid framework for an integrated research community and target to reach significant advances in the fields of foodborne zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance and emerging threats.
Aims
Consistent with the “Prevent-Detect-Respond” concept, the One Health EJP aims at reinforcing collaboration between institutes by enhancing transdisciplinary cooperation and integration of activities by means of dedicated Joint Research Projects, Joint Integrative Projects and through education and training activities. While alignment and harmonisation with on-going EC-funded research projects will also be considered, deliverables from the One Health EJP feed the approach of evidence based risk assessment and therefore the management of risks by the competent national authorities. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to efficiently and regularly update the dissemination of knowledge between the research community and major International and European stakeholders, national authorities and others.
The One Health EJP will also aim at developing sustainable programs and projects beyond its lifespan, through the production of a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (2021-2030) and a European P2P One Health Cooperative Joint Initiative.
Consortium
The network will be managed by the constitution of three bodies, i.e. a Programme Managers Committee (PMC), a Scientific Steering Board (SSB) and the EJP Project Management Team (EJP-PMT), supported by a Support Team (ST) for the daily follow-up of the science and a Support Team for the daily follow-up of administrative financial and legal matters. The French agency for food, environmental and occupational health & safety is coordinator. The EJP consortium will be interacting with the ministries of authority (Programme owners) of the partners, an External Scientific Advisory Board and a Stakeholder Committee (ECDC, EFSA).