Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has stressed that environmental, animal and public health issues cannot be addressed separately, calling for an integrated approach that considers people, animals, plants and ecosystems together.
He made the remarks at the opening session of a global conference on “One Health Action in Agrifood Systems” at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome on Monday.
The three-day conference, being held from September 21 to 23, brings together stakeholders to discuss the implementation of the One Health approach across agrifood systems.
The minister said the resilience of agrifood systems depends on the collective well-being of interconnected human, animal and environmental health sectors.
“Environmental, animal and public health cannot be treated as separate issues,” he said, stressing the need to integrate these areas into policymaking and development activities.
Referring to Bangladesh’s geographical and environmental vulnerabilities, Mintoo said the country is a densely populated and low-lying delta situated in the Ganges basin and remains highly exposed to climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.
He said people, ecosystems and agrifood systems are closely interconnected within the same landscape. As a result, pressure on one sector can quickly affect other sectors, making isolated approaches ineffective.
The minister said effective solutions require a coordinated framework that brings together environmental protection, animal health and public health.
He also highlighted Bangladesh’s efforts over nearly two decades to establish One Health not merely as a concept but as a principle of governance through institutional partnerships.
Drawing on the country’s experience, he underscored the importance of strengthening coordination among relevant ministries, ensuring information sharing and accountability, and incorporating environmental and ecosystem considerations into the One Health framework.
Mintoo said stronger cooperation among government institutions and other stakeholders is essential to address emerging health and environmental challenges and build more resilient agrifood systems.
The FAO conference is focusing on ways to strengthen One Health action across agrifood systems by bringing human, animal, plant and ecosystem health considerations into a coordinated approach.
