Seitaro Hattori, Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture,
President of the Executive Committee of
One Health International Forum in Fukuoka
Thank you very much for attending the "4th One Health International Forum in Fukuoka."
This Forum has been held since FY2020, with the aim to solve issues regarding zoonotic infections such as COVID-19 through One Health approach by world-class researchers in various fields, and to send out their research results from Fukuoka, the site of the Fukuoka Declaration, to the world.
Many emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19, SARS, and MERS are zoonotic infections, and in preparation for the next emerging infectious disease, it is important for us to think of the health of humans, animals, and the environment as an interconnected whole, and practice One Health philosophy in an integrated manner.
For this year's Forum, which is the fourth in the series, a new expert committee consisting of specialists from international organizations and research institutes working to promote One Health has been established to further enhance the Forum's expertise. And, as a higher level of expertise than ever before is required of the secretariat of the Executive Committee, we asked for support from the Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations (FAVA) One Health Fukuoka Office, which has a network of international organizations and researchers in Asian countries and which also cooperates in planning One Health programs.
Fukuoka Prefecture enacted the "Fukuoka Prefecture One Health Promotion Basic Ordinance" in December 2020, the first of its kind in Japan, developed the "Fukuoka One Health Action Plan" in March 2022, and enacted the "Ordinance Related to Promotion and Practice of One Health in Fukuoka, including the Creation of Better Relationships with the Environment, Humans, and Animals," in October 2022.
Based on that Action Plan, we are currently moving forward to develop One Health Center, the first of its kind in Japan, as a base to implement One Health practice. At this Center, the Institute of Health and Environmental Sciences, which has operations related to human health and environmental conservation, and the Animal Hygiene Service Center, which centrally deals with the health and hygiene of livestock, wild animals, and pets, will work together to practice One Health.
Furthermore, in April 2023, we signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the promotion of One Health with the University of Hawaii, a pioneer in One Health education, in the presence of 11 universities in the prefecture, and we will endeavor to promote joint research, human resource development, and other initiatives.
We will continue to move forward with these efforts and contribute to the promotion of One Health not only in Japan but also in Asia and the world, with the aim of Fukuoka Prefecture becoming a globally advanced region for One Health. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
In conclusion, it is our desire that this Forum will provide an opportunity for active discussion of One Health issues, further deepen the understanding of One Health in the minds of as many people as possible, and spread actions and activities that are based on the One Health philosophy. I would like to wish all the participants good health and continued success.