One Health is a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach that acknowledges the interdependence between human, animal, and environmental systems. The concept has gained a renewed interest over the last years since some of the most pressing issues of our time – such as climate change, environmental degradation, non-communicable diseases, and emerging infectious diseases – require solutions at the human-animal-environmental interface. And the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic confirmed the urgent demand for integrated and holistic approaches.  

About

The FEAM One Health Scientific Committee is an advisory board that gathers scientists  with long-standing expertise in human, animal, and environmental health, Fellows of FEAM member Academies. The selection process of the nominees was based on the candidates’ proven scientific excellence.  

The Committee’s missions are to identify One Health priorities for FEAM members, to advise the FEAM staff and network on future projects and to concretely collaborate on their realisation. The Committee reconvenes in person once a year and holds online meetings regularly.  

The FEAM One Health Scientific Committee is overseen by Dr. André Jestin, FEAM Board member, and Prof. George Griffin, FEAM Past President. It is structured around three thematic subgroups: zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance and environment and counts 18 members in total, including two co-chairs for each of the three subcommittees. The Committee’s makeup was set up to equally represent One Health’s pillars and in the respect of gender and geographical balance.  

The Committee

AMR  Subcommittee

Co-chair: Prof. Jean-Christophe Giard, French Academy of Pharmacy 
Co-chair: Prof. Vincent Jarlier, French Academy of Medicine 

Members: 

  • Ranieri Guerra, Head of International Affairs, Italian National Academy of Medicine  
  • Marc Bonten, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, KNAW 
  • Arturo Anadón, Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Spanish Royal National Academy Veterinary Sciences   

Zoonoses Subcommittee 

Co-chair: Prof. Thomas Mettenleiter, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
Co-chair: Prof. Joanne Webster, the UK Academy of Medical Sciences

Members: 

  • Aurelija Zvirbliene, Chief scientist and head of the Department of Immunology and Cell Biology at the Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Centre of Vilnius University, Lithuanian Academy of Medical Sciences 
  • Sorin Rugina, Ovidius University of Constanta, Romanian Academy of Medicine 
  • Jorge Alvar, Institute of Health Carlos III, Ministry of Science & Innovation (Madrid), Royal Spanish Academy of Medicine 
  • Marion Koopmans, Head of the department of viroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam, KNAW 
  • Stephan Zientara, Animal Health Laboratory of Maisons-Alfort, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES), French Academy of Veterinary Sciences 

Environment Subcommittee

Co-chair: Prof. Branislava Betic, Academy of Medical Sciences of the Serbian Medical Society
Co-chair: Prof. Marija Jevtic , Academy of Medical Sciences of the Serbian Medical Society

Members:  

  • Theunis Piersma, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, KNAW 
  • Fernando Regateiro, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Portuguese Academy of Medicine 
  • Jesus Tresguerres, Complutense University of Madrid, Spanish Academy of Medicine 

 

Secretariat & policy support 

Marta Dell’Aquila
Policy Officer
marta.dellaquila@feam.eu 

 

History

The FEAM One Health Scientific Committee was first launched on the occasion of the 2nd European One Health Conference in June 2019. In 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic catalysed the importance of the implementation of the One Health approach. The renovated awareness of the topic led to a growing interest in the Committee, which need was highlighted during the FEAM workshop on HERA (January 2022) and the FEAM/IAP international conference on One Health (June 2022). In summer 2022, the Committee was revamped and its membership renewed.  

FEAM & One Health

The FEAM Council, FEAM sovereign body, identified One Health as a key topic for the Federation.  

FEAM activities on One Health: 

  • FEAM & Karolinska Institute Massive Online Open Course ‘One Health: pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response 
  • FEAM participation to the AMR Stakeholder Network run by the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), brings together more than 60 leading organisations and individuals committed to tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) at national, regional and European level, covering all dimensions of the ‘One Health’ approach. 
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