The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is leading an all-island research project to address European cross-border pathogens.
The initiative will be focused on establishing a coordinated surveillance system utilising the One Health approach for pathogens which threaten both the island and the European Union.
The term pathogen is used to describe an infectious microorganism or agent, such as a virus, bacterium, protozoan, prion, viroid, worm or fungus, which can cause disease.
DAFM
Representatives from the department recently joined delegates from other research institutions across the island of Ireland to officially launch the Direct Action project One Health: All Ireland for European Surveillance, known as OH-ALLIES.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said that the research relates to findings identified in the national risk assessment in relation to “pandemic preparedness”.
“Recent international health emergencies such as the Covid-19 pandemic, and continued threats of other zoonotic diseases, demonstrate the need for a resilient health system and the value of a One Health approach across the island of Ireland.
“OH-ALLIES aims to develop a framework that will support a sustainable long-term multi-disciplinary approach to One Health surveillance.”
Minister of State with responsibility for research, Martin Heydon added that the department will oversee the distribution of €1 million in funding for the collaborative research.
This work will be carried out by a wide-ranging collaborative team at University College Dublin (UCD), University of Galway and at the department’s national veterinary laboratory.
There will also be input on the project from with input from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCSI), the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the Irish Equine Centre, and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland.
OH-ALLIES is funded under the EU4Health programme which places a strong focus on translating innovative One Health research into practice on the ground.
According to DAFM, the One Health approach is “important in terms of public health, sustainable food production and ecological integrity”.