He said this at the opening session of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s global conference on ‘One Health operations in agrifood systems’ in Rome, Italy, on Monday.
The minister said humans, animals, plants and ecosystems are closely linked to one another. If pressure is created in one sector, its impact is felt in another sector as well. Therefore, effective solutions must be sought by considering the environment and public health in an integrated manner.
He said Bangladesh has been working to implement the One Health approach for nearly two decades. In this regard, importance is being given to coordination among the concerned ministries, information exchange, accountability, and capacity building at the district and grassroots levels.
Noting the Rome conference as important ahead of the upcoming COP31, the environment minister said Bangladesh will work to utilize the experience here in global discussions on climate and environmental health. The conference is being held from 21 to 23 September.
