MONGOLIA BECOMES THE SECOND COUNTRY TO CONDUCT A ONE HEALTH JOINT PLAN OF ACTION IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION

Between 11-13 September 2024, Mongolia conducted a national One Health Joint Plan of Action (OHJPA) workshop in Ulaanbaatar, becoming the second country in the Asia Pacific Region, after Bangladesh. The workshop was supported and facilitated by the WHO and FAO Country Offices of Mongolia and the Asia Pacific Regional Quadripartite One Health organizations. The workshop was graced by the three State Secretaries: representing Ministry of Health, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. A total of 80 government officials from all key sectors, including facilitators from the Quadripartite organizations, participated in the workshop.

The workshop aimed to raise awareness of One Health issues and the OHJPA, review progress, gaps and challenges in coordination, and support Mongolia in developing a national One Health action plan aligned with the OHJPA and its Implementation Guide.

Some key immediate actions included institutionalizing a national multisectoral One Health coordination mechanism, identifying key technical working groups with defined TORs at national and subnational levels, establishing a One Health Coordination unit in all key sectors, developing a comprehensive national One Health strategic framework/plan, and mobilizing resources and sustainable financing mechanism for One Health activities.