international conference “One Health: Social Dimension”
international conference “One Health: Social Dimension”
3 грудня 2025 року
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
On December 3, 2024, an international conference “One Health: Social Dimension” was held in Kyiv as part of the EU Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Module project “Integration of EU One Health Policy and Framework in Ukraine”. The event was an important step in implementing the principles of One Health in Ukrainian society.
In addition to representatives of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, the International Conference was attended by a representative of the World Organization for Animal Health (Paris, France), international and national experts on global health and food security, including the WHO Office in Ukraine, the Danish State Institute for Serological Research in Copenhagen, the EU One Health Project, the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety at the University of Minnesota, the Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute of Food Safety, the National Institute of Food Safety, the National Institute of Food Safety, the National Institute of Food Safety, the National Institute of Food Safety, the National Institute of Food Safety and the National Institute of Food Safety. In total, more than 150 people registered for the event.
The event began with welcoming remarks by Mykola Tsvilikhovsky, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the National University of Food and Agriculture of Ukraine, who emphasized the importance of implementing the One Health concept in the training and practice of veterinary medicine. Petro Krainik, Jean Monnet Programme Manager of the National Erasmus+ Office of Ukraine, emphasized the role of international educational programs in the development of interdisciplinary competencies. Oleksandr Labenko, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work and International Affairs, stressed the importance of coordinating the efforts of scientists, practitioners, politicians and the public through cooperation at such conferences and the university's support in implementing international projects.
The conference was organized online and in two sessions.
The first part of the conference highlighted current challenges and the state of implementation of the One Health approach in Ukraine. The moderator of the first session was Volodymyr Melnyk, Head of the Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Animal Health..
Serhiy Zakharin, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection on Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalization, briefed the participants on the current state of implementation of the principles of the One Health approach in the activities of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, as well as on the established cooperation between the Ministries and agencies and the priorities set.
Project expert, Doctor of Veterinary Science, Professor, Coordinator of International Programs of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the National University of Veterinary Medicine of Ukraine Maryna Galat reported on the prospects for the development of parasitological science in Ukraine.
Professor Vitaliy Nedosekov shared rabies control practices used in the world and Ukraine.
Olena Panasyuk, Head of the Center for Infectious Diseases of the Nervous System at the L.V. Gromashevsky Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, highlighted the risks associated with nervous system infections.
Young scientists, in particular PhD students of NULES Nazar Gavryshchuk and Oleksandra Murashko, presented papers on leptospirosis risk factors and a brief outline of the chronology of the study of infectious pathogen transmission factors.
Of particular interest to the audience was the report of Hanna Petkun on the results of studying various aspects of animal welfare in the context of holistic health.
Considerable attention was paid to the economic, legal and environmental aspects of implementing the One Health approach.
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The participants were particularly interested in the presentation by Professor Jakub Zinstag, from the Swiss Institute of Tropical Medicine and Public Health. His report on “Scientific Opinion on the EU One Health Policy” highlighted the latest research and approaches used in the European Union.
Olga Martynenko, Director of Ecoline Corp, conducted a fascinating tour of the modern Limaria laboratory, introducing the conference participants to the advanced methods and technologies used for research. She paid special attention to technologies that allow for the rapid detection of resistant bacterial strains, which are of great importance for the prevention of the spread of antibiotic resistance in the food industry.
The second session, held in English, was devoted to international experience in implementing the One Health concept. In particular, representatives of the University of Minnesota shared their experience in responding to epidemics, the impact of African swine fever, and rabies control research around the world.
Друга сесія, яка проходила англійською мовою, була присвячена міжнародному досвіду впровадження концепції One Health.
Dr. Guillermo Arcega Castillo presented the 7-1-7 system for outbreak response, which was adapted from a public health system to an animal health management system.
Rachel Shambaugh and Jesper Chia-Hui Hsu shared research on the impact of African swine fever on public health and the environment.
Kaushi Kanankege emphasized the importance of environmental research in veterinary medicine.
During the conference, Valentyna Sharandak, Commissioner of the Capacity Building Department of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), presented key WOAH initiatives in support of the One Health concept.
In her report, she emphasized the importance of international cooperation in the fight against zoonoses, controlling antibiotic resistance, and ensuring animal welfare. Particular attention was paid to projects aimed at strengthening veterinary systems and improving the skills of specialists to implement the One Health approach. Dr. Sharandak's report emphasized the role of the WOAH as a leading international partner in building sustainable One Health systems.
Olena Kuryata, One Health Consultant at the WHO Office in Ukraine, emphasized in her speech that WHO actively supports the integration of interdisciplinary approaches to address complex health issues. The main focus of the report was on coordination of actions between the human, animal and environmental health sectors, strengthening national systems to combat infectious diseases, developing recommendations and providing technical support for the implementation of One Health principles at the state level.
Olena Kuryata highlighted WHO's efforts in building sustainable national health systems and their adaptation to global challenges. Her speech was an important contribution to understanding how international organizations contribute to solving current health problems in Ukraine.
European project expert, Dr. Pikka Jokelainen, Head of Infectious Disease Safety and One Health at the Statens Serum Institute (Denmark), shared her experience of transforming her institution into a One Health-oriented institute.
She spoke about the evolution of approaches to combating infectious diseases, the integration of veterinary, medical and environmental components into research and practice, the development of innovative methods of diagnosis and control of infections that take into account the relationship between human, animal and environmental health, noting the role of international cooperation in improving the effectiveness of measures to prevent and respond to global epidemics.
The environmental component of the One Health approach was presented in a report by Professor and Jean Monnet Project Coordinator at ProEU and EcoEurope Ihor Yakymenko. In his report, he emphasized the importance of integrating the environmental component into the One Health approach, in particular in the context of EU environmental policy.
Prof. Yakymenko spoke about the ambitions of the European Green Deal, which aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and noted the key challenges facing countries seeking to adapt these approaches, including the link between ecosystem health and risks to human and animal health, the need to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and industry to reduce the risk of zoonoses.
The conference has become an effective platform for exchange of experience between Ukrainian and international experts. The event highlighted the need to introduce innovative approaches to integrate One Health in Ukraine.
The organizers express their gratitude to all participants and partners for their support, and emphasize the importance of implementing the principles of One Health to improve the health of people, animals and the environment in Ukraine.
A recording of the event will be available on the project website for all interested parties.
Project coordinator
Maria Galaburda
