WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the virtual press conference on One Health High Level Expert Panel

Your Excellency Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Your Excellency Niels Annen, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, Professor Wanda Markotter and Professor Thomas Mettenleiter, Mr Qu Dongyu, Ms Inger Andersen, Dr Monique Eloit, Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, First of all, I would like to thank the governments of France and Germany for their leadership and support in establishing the One Health High-Level Expert Panel. Its creation fulfils a commitment made at the Paris Peace Forum last November. I also want to give a special thanks to the co-chairs, Professor Markotter and Professor Mettenleiter, and the other panelists for lending us their time and expertise. The COVID-19 pandemic is a powerful demonstration that human health does not exist in a vacuum, and nor can our efforts to protect and promote it. The close links between human, animal and environmental health demand close collaboration, communication and coordination between the relevant sectors. One Health is not a new concept, but the High-Level Expert Panel is a much-needed initiative to take it to the next level. The High-Level Expert Panel will advise us on how to bridge the gaps between sectors, connecting veterinary and human medicine and environmental issues, and to address the challenge of implementation at both the global and country level. The work of the panel will help us advocate for bold policy measures and investments to reduce the risk of future pandemics and to change harmful practices that threaten us now and in future generations. The four organizations that will participate in the Joint Secretariat bring world-class expertise in their respective areas. We believe that by working together more closely in this way, we will be much more than the sum of our parts. One of the many lessons of the pandemic is that we can only confront shared threats with shared solutions. Thank you once again to France and Germany for your support, and to my colleagues at FAO, OIE and UNEP. Now let’s get to work. I thank you

Researchers' perspectives on public involvement in health research in Singapore : the argument for a community-based approach

Background: Singapore is becoming a world‐class research hub, promoting the advancement of patient care through translational clinical research. Despite growing evidence internationally of the positive impact of public involvement (PPI), in Singapore PPI remains unusual beyond patient participation as subjects in studies. Objective: To explore health researchers' understandings of the principles, role and scope of PPI, and to identify barriers and opportunities for implementation in Singapore. Design: Semi‐structured qualitative interviews between April and July 2018. Data were analysed using thematic framework analysis. Results: Whilst most participants (n = 20) expressed a lack of experience of PPI, the interview process provided an opportunity for reflection through which it emerged as a beneficial strategy. Interviewees highlighted both utilitarian and ethical reasons for implementing PPI, particularly around increasing the relevance and efficiency of research. In addition to those challenges to PPI documented in the existing literature, participants highlighted others specific to the Singaporean context that make PPI at an individual level unlikely to be successful, including the socio‐political environment and prevailing social and professional hierarchies. They also identified asset‐based strategies to overcome these, in particular, a more community‐oriented approach. Conclusion: The cultural reluctance of individuals to question perceived authority figures such as researchers may be overcome by adopting an approach to PPI that is closer to family and local community values, and which facilitates patients and the public collectively engaging in research. Further work is needed to explore the views of patients and the public in Singapore, and the implications for other Asian communities.Published versio