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One Health Strengthening Europe: Kick-off Conference “Advancing One Health: How EU Expertise Inspires the Next Generation of Global One Health Researchers” by Saba Kobakhidze. |
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Saba Kobakhidze is a young researcher of the One Health Institute (OHI) of the University of Georgia, in Tbilisi, Georgia. He is also a PhD candidate, who uses advanced approaches of comparative and functional genomics to investigate the evolutionary features of Listeria monocytogenes serotypes responsible for listeriosis sporadic infections versus outbreaks in humans. |
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“As a PhD candidate researching the genomic characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes, a significant foodborne pathogen, for me, attending the One Health Strengthening Europe (OHSE) kick-off conference in Amsterdam, in September 2024, was an invaluable opportunity. The event was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport, coordinated by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, and collaboratively implemented by members of the European One Health Association (EOHA), formerly known as MedVetNet. The opening plenary session featured presentations by distinguished European experts, covering critical aspects of the One Health European Joint Program (EJP) and advanced surveillance approaches, particularly MATRIX. This session further emphasized the development of a cohesive One Health Risk Analysis framework, with the European One Health Association highlighting the importance of maintaining a sustainable One Health network. A key focus was placed also on the strategy and goals for strengthening One Health within the European Union (EU), and the pivotal role of the One Health Partner Platform in the successful implementation of the One Health Agenda across EU member states. The second day of the conference offered updates on the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), which enables the EU to support reforms in enlargement countries by |
providing them with financial and technical assistance to promote One Health initiatives. The discussions spanned a wide range of topics, including SPAR (Self-assessment Annual Reporting Tool) being utilized for detecting, notifying, reporting, and responding to public health risks and acute events of national and international significance. The agenda also included the JEE (Joint External Evaluation) experience from the Netherlands, which focused on identifying and addressing gaps in health security. Breakout sessions explored agendas for regional workshops, culminating in final plenary discussions on conclusions and future prospects. It was a great privilege and immense pleasure to listen to, learn from, and interact individually with the internationally distinguished experts, representing at the conference a diverse range of stakeholders tackling One Health challenges across the EU. These stakeholders included both governmental and non-governmental entities, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), EOHA, one of the event’s key implementers, and others.” |
