Innovation in One Health
Outbreaks, such as the recent coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), and the fast global widespread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), have highlighted the importance of developing coordinated actions between multiple sectors to produce long-lasting solutions. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed the One Health approach, a collaborative, multisectoral, and multidisciplinary approach working at local, regional, national, and global levels. The goal of this approach is to achieve optimal health outcomes that recognize the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.
Pandemic preparedness, AMR and prevention of infectious diseases are shared policy priorities between the Netherlands and India. Both countries have demonstrated a commitment to curbing health problems based on One Health at a local level. The Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK) and Dutch Research Council (NWO), are working with their bilateral partners in India Department of Science & Technology(DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) towards a joint Knowledge and Innovation Agenda, with focus on challenges in the areas of Water, Animal, Agriculture and Health. Thereby concentrating on the role Key Enabling Technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence, biotechnology, space technology) can play.
WAAH Accelerator
Aigned with this Knowlegde and Innovation Agenda, the WAAH Accelerator programme between India and the Netherlands is being initiated (www.waahaccelerator.org).
The WAAH Accelerator will emphasize on co-creation and co-development of new technologies in water, agriculture, animal and human health to address challenges in One Health. It is a new bilateral collaboration to leverage advances in therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines, digital health and devices.
The current partners of the WAAH Accelerator include the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) Bangalore, India, The Netherlands Antibiotic Development Platform (NADP) and AMR-Global from the Netherlands. The formal launch of the initiative took place December 2022, at the official residence of the Netherlands’ Ambassador to India [see articles: 1, 2].
Platform
This platform is part of the WAAH Accelerator, open to all Indian and Dutch partners from the industry, research institutions and other organisations who would like to connect and contribute to improve research and innovation cooperation to leverage advances in therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines, digital health and devices.
Stakeholders who are interested in co-creation and co-development of new technologies - companies, SMEs, start-up initiatives, clusters and associations as well as research institutes, universities and policy makers - are invited to participate and play an active part in this cooperation.
The idea of the platform is to exchange views, share experiences and work together on cross-border concepts and solutions for One Health challenges. It provides a networking opportunity to get in contact with new research and business partners as well as to explore and identify common fields of interest and developments.
