The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently announced the Final Strategic Framework that will advance surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging diseases.
According to a press release, APHIS announced the release of an outline of how the Agency will advance surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging diseases as directed by the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The One Health concept and other activities have been funded $300 million by the ARP to advance these efforts.
"The One Health concept recognizes that the health of people, animals, and the environment are all linked," USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt said, according to the release. "Using this One Health approach will benefit the country for many years to come by better enabling us to rapidly detect new disease threats and provide intelligence to our public health partners."
Detecting and responding to pathogens in animals is essential to limiting or preventing human outbreaks.
The USDA also launched a website to help the public stay updated on USDA health-related activities funded by the American Rescue Plan. The One Health website will provide valuable data and share information from partners. Visitors will also be able to find information on and summaries of other ARP-funded APHIS projects.
