Serbia advanced its health security and cross-sector collaboration during a two-day workshop titled “From theory to practice: Implementing the One Health approach holistically,” held in Belgrade on 1–2 December 2025. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in its role as the current chair of the Quadripartite, with support from WHO, WOAH, and UNEP, the workshop brought together over 40 representatives from government, academia, and international organizations to support Serbia in operationalizing the One Health approach.
Opening the workshop, Danijela Kozomora, special adviser to the Chief Veterinary Officer at the Veterinary Directorate, highlighted the importance of joint efforts to address challenges such as zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety risks, climate-related diseases, and agrochemical misuse. Verica Jovanović, Acting Director of the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical role of One Health in fostering integration and multisectoral cooperation, making the workshop a valuable platform for sharing experiences and identifying future collaboration opportunities.
The One Health approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health. As threats such as zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, climate-related hazards, and environmental pollution grow globally, integrated solutions are increasingly necessary. In Serbia, progress has been made through initiatives like the 2019 National Bridging Workshop and national health security planning, yet gaps remain in governance, data systems, regulations, workforce capacity, and cross-sector coordination.
The workshop aimed to address these gaps through three main objectives. The first was to establish a dynamic national multisectoral forum, bringing together experts from human, animal, plant, food safety, and environmental fields to identify the country’s most urgent priorities for One Health implementation. The second objective focused on integrating the One Health approach into existing national plans, strategies, and frameworks to ensure that ongoing cross-sectoral efforts are aligned, efficient, and mutually reinforcing.
Finally, participants reflected on progress since the 2019 National Bridging Workshop, assessing achievements, identifying unfinished actions, and determining high-priority initiatives for accelerating Serbia toward a fully operational and holistic One Health system. Interactive discussions were facilitated by Carlos Gonçalo das Neves, Chief Scientist of the European Food Safety Authority and Co-Chair of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel.
