”Nicolae Testemitanu” University – an active participant in the consolidation of ”one health” governance

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 75% of emerging human diseases originate from animals, as humans and animals are interconnected with the environment and are constantly evolving. Environmental health affects human and animal health through contamination, pollution and climate change. To mitigate the negative effects generated by these phenomena, in early 2000, the concept of "One Health" was introduced, which encourages the community of interdependent fields, such as human medicine, veterinary medicine, environmental health, ecology, public health and health economics, to work together to overcome today's health challenges. 

To enhance the quality of One Health policies, specialists in the field gathered at the National Conference with international participation under the title "One Health Approach for Global Health Security", the 3rd edition, which took place on November 20 and 21, 2025 in Chisinau. The event was organized by the Biosafety and Biosecurity Association of the Republic of Moldova in collaboration with the National Agency for Public Health (ANSP), Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, the WHO Office in the Republic of Moldova, with the technical support of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the financial support of the Pandemic Fund project. 

Representatives of Nicolae Testemitanu University actively participated in the conference, holding two workshops. The first event entitled "Climate change and human health during COVID-19: a One Health approach" was organized by representatives of the Hygiene Discipline and the Epidemiology Discipline within the Department of Preventive Medicine (DMP). The second workshop with the theme "Quality assurance in antimicrobial resistance testing" was held by the scientific and didactic staff of the Microbiology and Immunology Discipline, DMP, in collaboration with ANSP and the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA). 

The conference was inaugurated on the 2nd day and was attended by Minister of Health of the Republic of Moldova Prof. Emil Ceban, Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun, Minister of Environment ​​Gheorghe Hajder and Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Ludmila Catlabuga. Government officials reaffirmed their commitment to develop and implement effective policies to improve public health.

In his speech, Health Minister Emil Ceban noted that the COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in the incidence of zoonotic diseases, environmental degradation and the spread of antimicrobial resistance demonstrate the need to strengthen intersectoral governance. At the same time, the official highlighted the latest achievements such as: the creation of the National Intersectoral Council for Combating Antimicrobial Resistance; the modernization of epidemiological surveillance through digitalization, the development of molecular diagnostics and the operationalization of the National Reference Laboratory in Genomic Sequencing of the ANSP; the integration of the One Health concept in the study programs of Nicolae Testemitanu University and the expansion of interdisciplinary research; the strengthening of capacities for preventive and community interventions.

The Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine of Nicolae Testemitanu University, Associate Professor Serghei Cebanu, stated that the "One Health" concept was introduced into the undergraduate and postgraduate study programs at Nicolae Testemitanu University, in 2020, by substantiating and developing new topics in the specialized study programs at the disciplines of Hygiene, Microbiology and Immunology, and Epidemiology within the DMP.

According to Catalina Croitoru, Associate Professor at the Hygiene Discipline, DMP, during the conference, experts emphasized the need for a multisectoral approach and the integration of health into all public policies, the urgency of standardized protocols, clinical audit, continuous training, the integration of data from laboratories and imports to identify resistant strains, transmission analysis, wastewater and environmental surveillance. One of the experts ‘recommendations was the modernization of laboratory capacities and the strengthening of the response chain, the need for an integrated surveillance system, and the harmonization of protocols between ANSP, ANSA and university research laboratories. The specialists emphasized the need for the integration of the Republic of Moldova into regional surveillance networks, the strengthening of biosecurity in laboratories, the need for investments in advanced technologies, the expansion of competitive financing and international collaborations.

The conference brought together representatives of public institutions from the Republic of Moldova, academia, human and veterinary health systems, reference laboratories, international organizations (WHO, FAO, WOAH, UNEP), national and international experts, researchers, academics, clinicians, specialists in food safety, the environment, occupational health and decision-makers.

Among the key topics addressed were surveillance of zoonotic and foodborne diseases; antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the rational use of antibiotics; environmental and occupational health; prevention of non-communicable diseases through a multisectoral approach; biosecurity, biosafety; genomic sequencing and advanced surveillance of pathogens; food security and the impact of climate change; interdisciplinary research and quadripartite collaboration at European level.

At the end of the Conference, a joint resolution was adopted that includes several recommendations and commitments addressed to national authorities, public institutions, the academic sector and international partners, which implies the strengthening of One Health governance. Among the commitments undertaken by Nicolae Testemitanu University are the standardization of ANSA - ANSP - Nicolae Testemitanu University surveillance protocols, increasing funding for One Health research, modernizing laboratories and expanding antimicrobial resistance testing capacities, developing university and postgraduate programs in the field of One Health, strengthening international collaborations and the participation of young researchers.

Photo source: National Agency for Public Health and WHO Office in the Republic of Moldova.