Universidad de Ginebra

Global Health at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface

63 ratings

The University of Geneva, Institute Pasteur, University of Montreal and Centre Virchow-Villermé/University Paris Descartes welcome you to this MOOC on "Global Health at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface"! Over the next 7 weeks, you will explore and learn about some of the major and current Global Health Challenges at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface: zoonotic emerging infections (e.g. Ebola, Nipah, MERS, Avian Influenza), antimicrobial resistance, neglected tropical diseases (e.g. rabies, leishmaniasis, zoonotic TB), snakebite and other human-animal conflicts etc. You will learn new concepts from the field of epidemiology, social anthropology, disease ecology, veterinary sciences, global health policy etc. and approaches such as One Health, Eco-Health and Planetary Health. Also, you will learn about innovative tools and frameworks used to study and tackle some of these Global Health challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals era. This MOOC proposes you a dynamic, international and interdisciplinary programme based on the One Heath approach (human-animal-environmental dimensions) and involving more than 30 top experts from more than 20 academic and research institutions and international organisations based in Geneva, Paris, Montreal and the world. Policy makers from the World Health Organisation, clinicians from the University Hospitals of Geneva, epidemiologists from Institut Pasteur etc. will share with you their knowledge and experiences all along this MOOC. Video-lectures have been filmed in different parts of the world and settings (from the field to the lab and office) and will be combined with the latest open readings and interactive activities in the discussion forum, video-conferences etc. This MOOC keeps evolving and enriching actively over time and two new sections on "Health Benefits at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface" and "Management of Ecosystems under Global Changes" have been added in May 2018. This latter section was developed in close collaboration with experts from World Health Organisation and the Convention on Biological Diversity and is introduced by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. The development of this MOOC was led by Dr. Rafael Ruiz de Castañeda, Dr. Isabelle Bolon and Prof. Antoine Flahault from the Institute of Global Health of the University of Geneva. The list of instructors is completed by Prof. Arnaud Fontanet (Institut Pasteur) and Prof. André Ravel (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal). Watch our teaser here and let’s get started! https://youtu.be/WT7-cC21uLU?list=PLnZ (with subtitles in French and in Chinese)

De la lección

Management of Ecosystems under Global Changes: Implication for Human Health (section 8)

This section was created in close collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) with the goal of highlighting the importance of sustainable management of ecosystems for human health, particularly in the context of climate change. You will be introduced to core issues, challenges and opportunities at the intersection of food systems -including both agricultural biodiversity and sustainable fisheries- and human health against a backdrop of global environmental change. Differential gender impacts are also considered, with a dedicated lecture on the theme and as a cross-reference in other sub-themes. This section is introduced by the Director-General of WHO Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and by Cristina Romanelli from the Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Global Overview of the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (Dr. F. Branca, WHO)7:45

Food Systems, Nutrition and Climate Change: The Need for a Cross-sectoral Approach (Ms. L. Mahy, WHO)8:08

Conoce a los instructores

Rafael Ruiz De Castañeda
Institute of Global Health - Faculty of Medicine
University of Geneva
Isabelle Bolon
Institute of Global Health - Faculty of Medicine
University of Geneva
Antoine Flahault
Professor of Public Health and Director of the Institute of Global Health (Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva) and co-Director of Centre Virchow-Villermé (Université Paris Descartes)
University of Geneva and Université Paris Descartes – Sorbonne Paris Cité
Arnaud Fontanet (in Partnership with UNIGE)
Director Center for Global Health – Head of Emerging Diseases Epidemiology Unit
Institut Pasteur
André Ravel (in Partnership with UNIGE)
Faculté de médecine vétérinaire
Université de Montréal

[MUSIC]

The world is suffering from what we call the double burden of malnutrition,

which is characterized by the coexistence of undernutrition along with overweight,

obesity or diet-related noncommunicable diseases, NCDs,

within households, populations, and across the life-course.

Biodiversity is critical for food security, diets, and nutrition.

It is protective of crop loss from weather impacts or

disease, which is especially important in the face of climate change.

Different species and varieties of animal and plant life offer dietary diversity and

different nutrient profiles and they must be protected to maintain their benefits.

However, we know that agriculture and food systems are becoming

increasingly homogeneous and dependent on a small number of crops,

including major carbohydrates-based cereals and oil crops.

Agricultural practices are increasingly moving towards intensified monocultures

which may improve short-term grain yields,

but limit the biological diversity needed for high quality diet.

For example, did you know that of the 250,000

plant species known to humans, more that 30,000 plant species are edible,

yet only 7,000 have been used for food through human history.

And of the 120 plants that are cultivated for our consumption today,

9 provide more than 75% of our food, and 3 of them, rice,

maize and wheat, provide more than 50% of calories for humans.

Richness in biodiveristy can result both in improved nutrient intakes,

sustainable food systems, and improved environmental health.

And all nations have a real interest in maintaining healthy,

biodiverse ecosystems and sustainable food systems.

The double burden of malnutrition and its relationship to biodiversity and

food systems, offer a unique and important opportunity for integrated

action to improve human nutrition, and at the same time planetary health.

Therefore, let me go into discussing a number of international

nutrition related processes and commitments taken by nations.

Firstly, let me refer to the World Health Assembly six global nutrition

targets adopted in 2012, to be achieved by 2025.

Here, the world acknowledge that we have a number of

important malnutrition problems and we need to tackle them.

Then the next year in 2013,

the world's nations committed to achieve nine targets for the prevention and

control of NCDs by 2020, and three of those targets are diet-related.

And this is important as unhealthy diet is now one of the most important

risk factors of the global burden of disease.

And then, in 2014, the Second International Conference on Nutrition,

the ICN2, was co-organized by the Food and

Agricultural Organization and the World Health Organization.

And two important outcome documents were adopted at the ICN2 that

are highly relevant for global nutrition, for food systems and biodiversity.

They are, the Rome Declaration on Nutrition and

the ICN2 Framework for Action.

The Rome Declaration commits countries to eradicate hunger and

prevent all forms of malnutrition worldwide.

And it encourages countries to realize ten commitments for more and

effective and coordinated action to improve nutrition.

The Rome Declaration recognize the need to address impact of climate change and

other environmental factors on food security and nutrition.

In particular, on the quantity, the quality and diversity of food produced,

taking appropriate action to tackle negative effects.

The framework for action provides a list of 60 policy recommendations

which maybe incorporated into national nutrition, health,

agriculture, development and investment plans to achieve better nutrition for all.

You will find among those 60 policy recommendations, quite a lot

referring to biodiversity, which I have summarized in a slide for you.

25th of September, 2015, the UN General Assembly

adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Which reaffirms, importantly, the commitments of the Rome Declaration on

Nutrition and the Framework for Action, look at paragraph 24.

Addressing malnutrition and the links between agriculture, food systems and

bio diversity will be key to achieving the 17 sustainable development goals.

And in particular, goal 2 to end hunger, achieve food security and

improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

I also want to refer here to a number of targets under the SDT to notably

target 2.1 and target 2.2 and 2.5.

Target 2.1 and target 2.5 specifically refer to food and genetic diversity.

To ensure all these commitments are achieved, then in 2016, the member

states of the United States announced the Decade of Action on nutrition.

And a Decade of Action provides a unique opportunity for

stakeholders to strengthen joint efforts towards

eradicating hunger and preventing all forms of malnutrition worldwide.

And it allows stakeholders to connect initiatives in nutrition across

all the development areas.

In the context of a renewed global momentum for improved nutrition,

really there is a renewed energy and attention to the importance of nutrition.

WHO, the World Health Organization, has developed a fit for purpose and

coherent nutrition strategy which is called the Ambition and

Action in Nutrition 2016-2025.

The nutrition's strategy envisions a world free from

all forms of malnutrition where all people achieve health and well being.

Now the mission of the WHO is to work with member states and

partners to ensure universal access to effective nutrition action and

to healthy and sustainable diets.

It defines the unique value of WHO for advancing nutrition, the provision of

leadership, guidance, and monitoring, and proposes a theory of change.

Importantly, WHO's leadership priority number 2 of

the nutrition strategy involves leveraging changes

in the relevant non-health sectors to improve in mainstream nutrition.

WHO will participate in the development or update of global

policy frameworks addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.

And secondly, develop the evidence based for

the alignment of measures to reduce the environmental impact

of food production and the promotion of healthy diets.

So, in conclusion, there is global commitment, there is demand,

there is need and opportunity to link biodiversity and nutrition.

And in order to be successful, it is imperative that we work on both fronts.

Thank you.

[MUSIC]