FEATURE
of the United Nations , World Organization for Animal Health and WHO , includes a comprehensive framework of core competencies for building resilient , responsive laboratory systems and is now in the pilot phase .
One focus is to make the GLLP a true One Health program , engaging individuals from multiple sectors to work on joint projects that address the needs and strengths of each sector toward a better overall outcome . The goal is not just to know each other , but to know how to work together , Cognat said .
Spanning Silos
Such partnerships are at the heart of many COVID-19 success stories , as the scope , scale and urgency of the pandemic pushed a wide range of groups toward a shared focus . Powerful — and sometimes unexpected — collaborations emerged during the pandemic .
“ We did not think that we can really get so many stakeholders together before ,” Prasarnphanich said . But forging those connections is critical . Kebede attributes much of the success of Africa CDC ’ s programs to the authority and buy-in given to the agency by the member states , noting that they were able to convene heads of state 13 times in the last two years in a joint continental effort for pandemic response .
Integration across sectors also holds several advantages for surveillance efforts specifically . One is that , especially in the case of zoonotic disease , early signs of outbreaks can often be detected in animals long before people . Another is the potential cost savings when sectors share costly facilities and equipment , such as sequencing platforms or high-containment laboratories . And in many cases , a richer data set can be obtained by combining inputs from multiple sectors . Signs of antimicrobial resistance , for example , can be detected in animals , people , food products and the environment , such as in sewage , water or soil .
Within that , it is critical to remember that each organization at a table has its own agenda , priorities , mandates and regulations .
“ We cannot really force them to see the same picture ,” Prasarnphanich said . “ But I think we can frame the big picture together — find a common goal .” COVID-19 is a perfect example : essentially , everyone would like the pandemic to be over . But how each agency and organization can contribute to — and benefit from — that goal will be different . Some organizations might be able to provide training and technical expertise , while others might provide access to new regions to expand surveillance reach . Still others might be best able to contribute financially . “ We cannot expect all organizations to have the same level of funding , the same level of human resources or the same level of expertise to offer ,” Prasarnphanich said .
The world benefits by having better ways of sharing data in order to be able to detect [ and ] respond to emerging health threats ”
Xenophon Santas
Likewise , different health sectors work in different contexts , and supporting them may require different approaches and investments . Thinking about surveillance in Thailand , for example , the public health sector already has established platforms to store health data but could benefit from help to utilize their data most effectively and efficiently . The animal health sector may have access to information but lacks a central data management system . And none of these mechanisms may be relevant for the wildlife health sector , where rangers need to be able to collect data in the field .
“ It ’ s of mutual benefit ,” Cognat said . “ It ’ s not only the animal and environmental sector contributing to human health , it ’ s also the other way around .”
The Global Laboratory Leadership Programme includes a comprehensive framework of core competencies for building resilient , responsive laboratory systems .
8 LAB MATTERS Fall 2022