Disaster Management and “One Health”: European Civil Protection Lacks a Holistic Approach

A conference titled “Natural Disasters and One Health: Are We Prepared to Respond?”, organized by the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), was held in Brussels on April 16 and 17, 2015. Its findings identify gaps in emergency preparedness and response by emergency services.   For the approximately 90 conference participants, the consensus is clear: European civil protection systems are ill-prepared to manage the occurrence of natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, extreme weather conditions, epidemics, and so on. In this context, humans, animals, and the environment are interdependent, making the “One Health” approach imperative. Thus, these interactions are a fundamental factor to be taken into account to ensure people’s safety and health—before a disaster strikes (preparedness), during the natural event (effective response and coordination), and afterward (monitoring and a rapid return to normalcy). For while the health of populations is compromised by the disaster itself, it is also affected by the condition of the animals and ecosystems involved: waste and carcasses quickly become a source of infection, spreading disease and contaminating water and food supplies. Furthermore, the work of rescue teams can be hindered by people who are reluctant to leave their animals behind. These phenomena were observed in two recent events: the tsunami in Japan and the earthquake in Nepal. The conference emphasized the need for a “One Health” approach to managing these disasters. Thus, in collaboration with other professionals involved in civil protection efforts, veterinarians can play a vital role in these emergency situations. To do so, they must be trained and prepared to address the consequences appropriately, particularly through a detailed plan and the capacity to implement it. Governments are encouraged to invest in local professionals, particularly veterinarians, who can address issues related to food safety, public health, and animal welfare. The goal is to unify and then coordinate the response of all relevant stakeholders across Europe—in both the medical and veterinary fields—to ensure readiness to address natural disasters as soon as they occur. The response must be organized using a multidisciplinary approach.    

Six identified and recommended points

• The “One Health” model can help improve preparedness and manage natural disasters more effectively by avoiding duplication of efforts, particularly during the rescue phase when every minute counts.
• Preparation for the possibility of a natural disaster must include risk assessment, sharing past experiences, planning a coordinated and immediate response, and rapidly restoring local living conditions and the environment after the crisis period.
• The establishment of emergency response networks in both human and veterinary medicine is necessary to save as many human and animal lives as possible.
• The “One Health” approach should be integrated into civil protection mechanisms, including close collaboration with veterinary services, to ensure the identification of shortcomings, a rapid response, swift decision-making, and effective coordination of actions by all stakeholders, both national and European.
• Training, exercises, real-world experience, and knowledge sharing should form the “One Health” framework, incorporating the animal health component. “Better training for safer food” could be another useful tool for improving the preparedness of veterinary services in the European Union.
• International organizations (WOAH, FAO, etc.) are called upon to strengthen their preparedness by developing guidelines and standards based on a holistic approach, in order to achieve broader resilience in disaster management, promote animal health and welfare, safeguard human health, and support the restoration of economic and social conditions.