Department leading One Health surveillance research project to address European cross-border pathogens

‘’representatives from my Department joined delegates from other research institutions on the island on June 13th to officially launch the Direct Action project One Health: All Ireland for European Surveillance (OH-ALLIES).’’

“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.”

“My Department is responsible for overall co-ordination of the project at national and European level, and 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, University of Galway and at the Department’s National Veterinary laboratory, with input from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, The Health Protection and Surveillance Centre, the Irish Equine Centre, and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland.”

“this collaborative research relates to the strategic risk identified in the National Risk Assessment with regard to pandemic preparedness and will provide important knowledge at an all-island level to achieve sustainable and effective surveillance systems for pathogens that threaten us all.”