This Joint Administrative Order establishes the operational guidelines of the Philippine Inter-Agency Committee on Zoonoses (PhilCZ) as a national One Health coordination mechanism for the prevention and control of zoonotic diseases. It promotes collaboration among the health, agriculture and environment sectors through the development of national strategies, policies, surveillance systems, risk assessment, risk management and risk communication measures, as well as research and capacity-building activities. The Order defines the composition, functions and responsibilities of PhilCZ and its member agencies, designates the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture and Department of Environment and Natural Resources as lead agencies for human, domestic animal and wildlife health respectively, and establishes reporting, laboratory confirmation and emergency response procedures for zoonotic diseases. It further provides governance and funding arrangements, including rotational chairmanship, inter-agency coordination mechanisms and annual budget allocations to support the implementation of zoonoses prevention and control programmes.
Philippines · 2020-01-01