Message by Founder of IRCOH

Professor Ihtesham Ur Rehman

One Health is a combination of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaborative approach to tackle local, regional, national, and global challenges and developing an interconnectivity between humans, animals, plants, and the environment we all share on our globe. Among all other health and environmental challenges, Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a major global threat to human and animal health. All bacteria spread like a chain between, humans, animals, food, and the environment. Hence, a One Health approach is required to address AMR from their “early detection to diagnosis” and “prediction to prognosis”. Tackling AMR is a Global priority, and a One Health approach is need of the hour to slowdown the development of antibiotic resistance. While early detection is of significant importance, inappropriate use of antibiotics across all sectors remains a global challenge, without tackling this slowing the development of antibiotic resistance will not be possible. AMR across humans and animals is extremely complicated due to several environmental factors responsible for the spread of bacteria and identifying AMR transmission routes is crucial to curtail spreading pathway. An alliance of professionals across the disciplines, clinicians and non-clinicians tackling human health, veterinary scientist addressing Animal health, environmental and food scientists researching on agriculture and food supply, is required. Diversity is imperative for establishing One Health in Pakistan. This Interdisciplinary Research Centre in One Health (IRCOH) will provide a platform to everyone to work for a common and targeted goal. As stated by the WHO, the “One Health” concept reinforces that human and animal health are interdependent and require a collaborative global approach. Hence, an interdisciplinary research approach is required in Pakistan which will help Pakistan catch up with the recent advances and bring different disciplines together. A global approach to ONE HEALTH needs developed in cross -disciplinary partnership. I established Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Biomedical Materials in Pakistan, which is one of the most successful research Centre in Pakistan conducting translational research. I am utilising all that experience and establishing IRCOH to provide a platform to all researchers to form national and international partnerships for the common and targeted goal of one health. I invite you to this Centre (IRCOH) which will act as a hub for all institutions and provide you a platform to Connect to form partnerships / collaborations, Discover for a common and targeted goal, and Inspire each other with research.