Ministry of Science and Higher Education as part of the program – Co-financed International Projects, “Establishing Coordinated Surveillance within a One Health Approach” 2024-01-01 – 2026-12-31

Project title: “Establishing Coordinated Surveillance within a One Health Approach”

Implementation period: 2024-01-01 – 2026-12-31

Project Manager: Professor Mirosław P. Polak, DVM, PhD, ScD

Funding: PLN 541,110.00

Total value: PLN 3,006,166.00

Most new infectious diseases affecting humans are zoonoses, meaning infections transmitted from animals to humans. Numerous factors influence the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases, including climate, ecological, political, economic, and societal factors. Animal health, human health, and the environment are closely interconnected, and ecosystems in Europe are constantly evolving. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a faster and more effective response to zoonotic diseases, which can be achieved through the conceptual One Health approach, encompassing various disciplines, sectors, and agencies. Surveillance of animal health and the environment must be scaled up to establish effective monitoring aimed at reducing the occurrence of emerging and re-emerging pathogens in the living environment of animals and humans. This can be achieved by those Member States that implement Union policies at the national level, but in cooperation with other stakeholders. The scope of the OH4Surveillance project is limited to One Health surveillance, which aims to protect public health through the early detection of emerging zoonotic pathogens in animals and the environment. These activities include capacity building and surveillance, and are carried out in close cooperation with EFSA and ECDC, as well as other related entities and projects. OH4Surveillance supports the policy priority of better preparedness for responding to human health threats. OH4Surveillance contributes to the overall objective of the EU4Health program, which is to protect people in the Union from health threats and to strengthen the responsiveness of healthcare systems and the coordination of related actions among Member States.