The announcement of the One Health Joint Plan of Action (OHJPOA) by the four health-related global NGOs should help guide our collective efforts to prevent or reduce the impact of pandemics and epidemics in animals and humans. This five-year plan (2022-2026) focuses on supporting and expanding capacities in six areas: One Health capacities for health systems, emerging and re-emerging zoonotic epidemics, endemic zoonotic, neglected tropical and vector-borne diseases, food safety risks, antimicrobial resistance and the environment.
Oddly, innovation is mentioned only a few times as one of the actions and deliverables of the OHJPOA. Universities and companies with R&D teams in animal health space should play a key role in developing innovations in vaccines, diagnostics, and technologies but they need the right incentives to conduct this research. Money spent on R&D for pandemic and endemic diseases needs to generate a return. Perhaps the four NGOs will help with incentives – I am confident we have the innovative capabilities in the animal health industry, especially with some of the exciting new animal vaccine technologies on the horizon.
Bob Jones
English (United States) 
Portuguese