One Health Approach to Risk Assessment: Executive summary

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• About this approach
• Framework
• Contact us for full framework

About this approach

Canada needs the capability for early detection, understanding and action to address One Health threats and reduce their potential wide-reaching impact. One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. Recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General and Global Public Health Intelligence Network Review Panel identified that PHAC needed to strengthen its process to promote credible and timely risk assessments (RA). Developing a One Health approach to RA is one of the ways to meet this need. The need for strengthened multi-sectoral RA has been internationally recognized by the Quadripartite One Health Joint Plan of Action and the World Health Organization Pandemic Instrument and Canada is one of a few countries leading the way.

One Health threats include many types of hazards, such as those that are biological, chemical, environmental, or meteorological. The Public Health Agency of Canada, in collaboration with other multi-sectoral partners, has developed a One Health Approach to Risk Assessment (OHARA) Framework that aims to link existing RA activities and inform the development of new activities where gaps exist. The goal is to achieve high quality RAs that will increase understanding of risks to enable prompt and effective action for the health of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems in Canada. Benefits will also include clarity of roles and responsibilities, including leadership, strengthened networks, improved focus on upstream drivers of health risks and ongoing risk communication.

The OHARA Framework is a series of modules (refer to the framework section) aimed at risk assessors and those who request RA, within multiple sectors and disciplines in Canada. It is a flexible approach that can be used for a variety of risks, and it acknowledges existing standards in various sectors. Generic operating procedures are included in the Framework to provide foundational steps that are common among the many RA standards followed by different sectors and can be scaled up or down to be applicable to a variety of situations. Within each step, guidance and best practices are provided to enhance collaboration and guide technical aspects of RA and decision-making. When a risk question falls within the scope of existing standards, they should be followed.

The potential need for a multi-sectoral RA may be triggered by intelligence cycles, incident management, program areas, or strategic initiatives. The Framework can be consulted to determine if the issue is within scope and who might be an appropriate lead. Establishing a lead is a key step for supporting further work and the Framework provides guidance on how to do this. The OHARA Core Team within PHAC assists in finding a lead when it is not evident. The lead convenes or consults a multi-sectoral Steering Committee, appropriate to the issue, which jointly conducts risk framing and determines whether or not a RA or other risk product is needed and discusses the scope. The lead (and other primary contributors, where required – i.e., those responsible for drafting the report) then obtains approval within their organization to proceed.

The success of the approach requires awareness, endorsement and willingness to collaborate by all One Health partners. Senior leadership within all relevant sectors must be in agreement on the importance of increased risk assessment collaboration across sectors and acknowledge that it may at times require effort from risk assessors and subject matter experts outside of the traditional mandates of their organizations for the sake of the greater good.

Framework

The OHARA Framework is a series of modules aimed at risk assessors and those who request RA within multiple sectors and disciplines in Canada.

• Module 1 (introduction): Purpose, benefits and scope of OHARA.
• Module 2 (the foundation): Guiding principles and sectoral perspectives.
• Module 3 (the people): Characterization of roles and responsibilities, from strategic to project level.
• Module 4.1 (initiation phase): Generic operating procedures before technical work begins.
• Module 4.2 (execution phase): Generic operating procedures for the technical steps of a risk assessment.
• Module 4.3 (closure phase): Generic operating procedures after technical work is completed.
• Module 5 (the information): Input into a risk assessment.
• Module 6 (collaboration): Moving forward.

Contact us for full framework

If you'd like to receive the full framework, contact us at rap-per@phac-aspc.gc.ca.