The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed welcomes the recent awarding of the first Annual Scientific Meeting of the One Health European Joint Programme (EJP) to Ireland. This meeting will take place in Dublin on 20-22 May 2019.
The Minister said:
The hosting of this prestigious meeting arises out of the participation of my Department, Teagasc and NUI Galway in the EU Research & Innovation funded (Horizon 2020) - European Joint Programme on One Health, Zoonoses & Emerging Threats, which is coordinated by the French Agency ANSES. The One Health project commenced on the 1st January 2018 and represents a significant coordinated investment by participating EU Countries and the EU Commission to combat foodborne zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance and emerging risks.
The One Health European Joint Programme will help strengthen cooperation between its 40 partners (including the Med-Vet-Net Association) from 19 EU Member States. These research centres, most of which have reference mandates on foodborne zoonoses will form an organised network and represent an integrated research community whose aim is to promote scientific progress in the areas of foodborne zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance and emerging risks. The programme has been built upon the principle of co-funding from the participating institutes and the European Union ("Horizon 2020", the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation). As the largest European Joint Programme investment, it will cost €90 million, where 50% of its funding will come from the European Commission and 50% from the participating Member States.
Dr Geraldine Duffy, Head of Food Safety, Teagasc and the Conference Chair said
The conference organising team are delighted to be hosting this One Health European Joint Programme (EJP) Event in Dublin and to welcome Irish and international colleagues to address key issues related to food borne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in a One Health forum. It is well recognised that the health of people, animals, and our environment are inextricably connected. Networks such as this One Health EJP and associated conference which brings together global players in these areas, allows us to explore how potential solutions and preventative measures can be delivered in an integrated and holistic way, to address the human health challenges posed by pathogens in the agri-food chain.
The NUI Galway Ryan Institute’s Centre for Health from Environment (CHE) is delighted to co-host the first Annual Scientific Meeting of the One Health European Joint Programme in Ireland. NUI Galway is one of only five Universities in the One Health European Joint Programme consortium and has a distinguished reputation for research excellence on One Health topics. NUI Galway recognises the importance of the “One Health” concept in effectively managing emerging threats to human health faced in recent years, including antimicrobial resistance. Dr. Dearbháile Morris (lecturer in the School of Medicine, and Deputy Director of the Ryan Institute’s Centre for Health from Environment, NUI Galway and Co-Chair of the organising committee said:
We are delighted to welcome our European partners to Ireland for the first annual scientific meeting of the One Health EJP. Adopting a “One Health” approach is key to managing existing and emerging risks to human health. Hosting the first Annual Scientific Meeting of the One Health European Joint Programme in Ireland provides an ideal opportunity to showcase national and international research in the One Health area, foster and enhance ongoing relationships with major research Institutes across Europe and build the capacity of Irish researchers to participate in “One Health” research.
The Minister concluded by saying
We will warmly welcome all our European partners to Dublin for this high-level meeting in 2019. I strongly support the work of my Department, Teagasc and NUI Galway in collaborating nationally and internationally through the One Health EJP to generate scientific data and knowledge to be used for the analysis of health risks. This project will provide a structure for effective interaction with the other EU Member States, major EU funded One Health related projects, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) and the EU Commission.