Amman, 9 August 2016, WHO Jordan hosted an animal/human health surveillance stakeholder meeting bringing together partners, including Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Medical Services (RMS), Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA), Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)/Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP). The purpose of the meeting was to review the status of animal and human health surveillance in Jordan and to discuss options for integration of epidemiological and laboratory information systems.
Human health is inextricably linked to animal health and production and can lead to a serious risk to public health as a number of communicable diseases are transmitted from animals to humans. About 75% of the new diseases that have affected humans over the past 10 years have been caused by pathogens originating from an animal or from products of animal origin. Many of these diseases have the potential to spread through various means over long distances and to become global problems.
Jordan has been subject to outbreaks of MERS-CoV and avian influenza in the past and a number of other preventable animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans, including brucellosis and leishmaniasis, occur in Jordan mostly affecting the poorest segment of the population.
WHO has been closely linked with various aspects of the work of the FAO and OIE in relation to zoonoses, food safety, and the public health aspects of trade in animals and animal products. Animal/human health surveillance activities contribute to WHO's global efforts to strengthen the surveillance of and response to all communicable diseases which are or may emerge as public health threats. The meeting also supports what is a core component of the International Health Regulations (IHR), whose scope is “to prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the spread of disease”.
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