EcohealthaspartofabasicstrategytoimprovefoodsafetyinAsia

Ecohealth as part of a basic strategy to improve food safety in Asia

David C. HALL1, Quynh Ba LE1, Hung NGUYEN-VIET2, and Iwan WILLYANTO3

1Univ. Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Calgary, Canada. 2Hanoi School of Public Health, Vietnam; Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute

3Animal Health Consultant, Surabaya, Indonesia.

Ecohealth – Improving Food Safety in Asia

Outline

• Problem statement

• What is ecohealth• BECA project

• Examples from the region• Govt VN – UNJP• BECA and other projects

• Recommendations• Constraints• Strategy options

BANGKOK POST

Problem Statement – WHO perspective for Asia

WHO: key constraints to improved food safetyLack of:1.Laws that address food safety2.One authority with responsibility to food safety3.Technical expertise to articulate policy on food safety4.Government and consumer awareness to national food safety problems5.Food control systems

1. inspection methods and HACCP6.Consumer education7.Resources

1. trained experts2. laboratories3. sufficient data related to food borne diseases

Problem Statement – Industry perspective

•food safety culture and demographics•food safety research•food safety system and international trade•food safety outreach•education and training

Jing Pan, Shanyue Huang, and Yi Wan

Identifying Constraints, Mechanisms, and Resources in Harmonized International Food Safety System between the Asia Pacific Region and U.S (sourced 2011) School of Management & School of Economy & TradeHunan University, Changsha, China

www.idrc.ca

Human health AND ecosystem health are required for sustainable development

Humans live in ecosystems - our social, economic and cultural practices occur within ecosystems, affect, and are affected by ecosystem dynamics

By maintaining or improving our ecosystems we improve human health, which in turn contributes to ecological sustainability

Ecohealth Approach

www.idrc.ca

Ecosystem Health Framework

Adapted from Mergler, 2001

Biophysical environment

Economicenvironment

Socio-culturalenvironment Time

www.idrc.ca

6 Methodological Pillars (revis. Hall) Recognize complexity of systems

Transdisciplinary research Participatory approach/ Communities Gender and social equity research Sustainability Knowledge to Action

Numerous pathways for illness

Foodborne illness Human/ bacteria contact

Marketing systems Farming systems

Salmonella sp.

Other routes

From farm ….. to …. fork

After Lebel and Charron

Salmonella sp.

Other routes

e.g., birds

At farm SlaughterhouseImmunology

LivestockScaleWaste managementAge, educationBiosecurityRisk management

MicrobiologyImmunologyEpidemiologyAntibiotic use

Closed/ openSlaughterhouse hygieneTransportation systemsTraceabilityAccess to water

Pathways and systems are complex

Salmonella sp.

Other routes

e.g., birds

Behaviour (rel. to Health)

Preferences & choicesWillingness to adoptSocial pressure

Systems are affected by behaviour

Behaviour modified by policy & governance

Salmonella sp.

Other routes

e.g., birds

Behaviour (rel. to Health)

Policy & Governance

Preferences & choicesWillingness to adoptSocial pressure

Local to internationalTreaties and rulesSocial/ economic pressureGovernanceRegulatory

Salmonella interventions

Other routes

Farming systems

Marketing systems

BehaviourInterventions

Nets keep out birdsRemove rodents

TraceabilitySurveillanceStandards

Livestock restructuringFarm biosecurityProducer group SOPs

CommunicationEducationResearch

Building Ecohealth Capacity in Asia•3 year project; VWB – project/budget holder•Research Grant – funded by IDRC and AusAID•Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam•Key Personnel▫ Principal Investigator – David Hall (VWB/ Univ. Calgary)▫ Co-PI – David Waltner-Toews (VWB/ Univ. Guelph)▫ Co-PI – Jeff Davidson (VWB/ Univ. PEI)

▫ Focal Points: Cambodia: Naran Ly China: Fang Jing Indonesia: Iwan Wilyanto Laos: Boualam Khamlome Thailand: Suwit Chotinun Vietnam: Dinh Xuan Tung

ObjectivesBuilding Capacity for Ecohealth Research and Practice in SEAsia

1.Methodologies for developing and measuring impact

2.Informing and influencing local and regional policy formulation

3.Promote and facilitate regional networking and collaboration

4.Process oriented approach to monitoring and evaluation

BECA workshops – the researchable issues

Researchable issuesthe top three researchable ecohealth issues:

•prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases; •zoonotic disease including food borne disease; and •better understanding of the epidemiology of infectious diseases.

What is missing from approaches to public health

•Institutions, complexity, and transdisciplinarity•Increased training and knowledge in ecohealth•Incorporating ecohealth in the policy process

Strategy for improving food safety: main elements

Suggestions for strategy:

1.Promote transdisciplinary approaches•understanding complexity of zoonotic disease•adaptive complex systems

2.Education & research•increase teaching and application of ecohealth in medical sciences and other subjects relevant to food safety•encourage and fund ecohealth research

•Bring ecohealth into health policy discussions•particularly where discussions influence policy formulation

Constraints

Constraints for a strategy:

• Limited awareness and knowledge of ecohealth

• Lack of willingness to engage in a transdisciplinary setting

• Restricted capacity to change academic curricula

• Rigid institutional frameworks for problem solving

• Availability of funding

investment in resources & development of partnerships

policy discussions• existence and awareness of opportunity• promote discussion of food safety topics• Policy briefs or “information bulletins”

ecohealth instruction: infrastructural constraints• wkshops & training of high value until regular programs established

Transdisciplinarity• start with previously existing good relations and communications• programme briefs, post-training sessions, open meetings

Encourage donors• to fund transdisciplinary approaches to food safety• training in ecohealth & policy dialogue

Overcoming Constraints

Acknowledgments

BECA funding:

• International Development Research Centre (IDRC)• Australian Agency for International Development

(AusAID)

This presentation and paper:

• The BECA Focal Points and workshop participants• Dr. Quynh Ba LE (Canada)• Dr. Hung Nguyen Viet (Vietnam)• Dr. Iwan Wilyanto (Indonesia)

EcohealthaspartofabasicstrategytoimprovefoodsafetyinAsia

Health & Medicine