OLYMPIA, Wash.-Nov. 3 is One Health Day and several Washington state agencies are participating in the global campaign to protect humans, animals and the environment.
Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee signed the One Health Day Proclamation in 2019, and the Department of Health recently published the One Health Needs Assessment Report, to highlight ways to improve public health.
State agencies, including the Department of Health, Fish and Wildlife and Department of Agriculture meet quarterly through the Washington One Health Collaborative to identify priority projects that improve our shared environment.
“Human, animal, and environmental health are all interconnected,” said Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, MD, MPH, Chief Science Officer with the DOH.
According to the DOH, Washington’s One Health partners are working together to address the issues of shared environments and climate change, including changes to habitat and the spreading of diseases from animals to people in many ways by:
Providing information and action plans to protect people and animals from smoke during wildfire season.Creating a statewide plan that addresses the public health threat of PFAS or forever chemicals.Creating educational materials to improve veterinary knowledge of safe antibiotic use (antibiotic resistance is considered one of our most serious public health threats). Detecting and responding quickly to cases of bird flu.
More information about One Health efforts in Washington is available through the DOH and a downloadable coloring book is available through the CDC.
“Complex issues ranging from infectious disease, antimicrobial resistance, animal diseases, and environmental degradation require us to work together using a One Health lens to create a healthier, more sustainable future for all,” said Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett.