Mauritius: In view of the forthcoming Ministerial Conference on the SEGA One Health to be hosted in Mauritius in September this year, a working session was held between the Attorney General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Maneesh Gobin, and the Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), Professor Vêlayoudom Marimoutou, yesterday, at the seat of the Ministry in Port-Louis.
The main aim was to discuss the way forward for holding the Ministerial Conference, which will comprise the participation of other IOC Member States.
In a statement, Professor Marimoutou highlighted the objectives of the Conference, which are to learn and build on the achievements of the SEGA – One Health network, discuss the sustainability of the network through the setting up of the SEGA Fund (statutes, financial mechanism, etc.); and elaborate a regional health policy.
The Conference, he stated, will provide an important platform for all Member States to come together and brainstorm on the management of health alerts. He added that it will focus on widening the regional network for epidemiological surveillance concerning human, animal, and environmental health.
Professor Marimoutou indicated that the environmental aspect is becoming increasingly important due to changes in modes of production which are affecting the health of beings. Global warming and climate change and pandemics such as the Covid-19 are among the key topics that will be discussed during the Ministerial Conference.
He also spoke of the need to adapt programmes to respond to Member States’ requirements and extend them to other stakeholders. He is confident that the Conference will reinforce collaboration among States and help strengthen the national capacities of surveillance Units considering epidemic diseases and outbreak response in the Member States of the IOC.
