Inception Meeting of the WHO Alliance for Food Safety: May 2024
Background
An inception meeting, organized by WHO in collaboration with the US CDC Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Disease, was held in Geneva, from 6-8 May 2024, and gathered 88 participants (in person and online), representing 13 WHO-CCs, 14 national and regional institutions, and 5 international organizations. Participants from different areas of WHO Headquarters, and Regional Offices also attended the inception meeting. The main objective of the meeting was to develop the Terms of Reference (ToR) and a draft work plan for the Alliance.
Key takeaways from the inception meeting
During the meeting, participants engaged in productive discussions that shaped the foundation of the WHO Alliance for Food Safety. The following takeaways highlight the outcomes and future priorities:
- Strong endorsement: Participants expressed their commitment to continued engagement and participation in the Alliance’s initiatives.
- Broadening the scope: Participants emphasized the need to expand the Alliance’s scope beyond foodborne disease surveillance to encompass broader aspects of food safety, ensuring alignment with the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety.
- Leveraging global networks: Alignment with existing WHO networks and initiatives was recognized as essential to share knowledge, avoid duplication of efforts, and maximize the use of limited resources.
- Securing funding: Adequate funding was identified as a critical factor for successfully implementing the Alliance's work plan. Exploring innovative funding mechanisms will be a priority.
- Adopting a One Health approach: The One Health approach was highlighted as the foundation of the Alliance's work, calling for active participation from One Health Quadripartite Secretariat organizations to address food safety in an integrated manner.
These takeaways guided the establishment of the Alliance as a collaborative network for advancing food safety globally.
Participants at the Alliance Inception meeting at WHO in May 2024.