Thank you very much for attending the "5th One Health International Forum in Fukuoka."

This forum has been held since FY2020, with the aim to solve issues regarding zoonotic infections such as COVID-19 through the One Health approach by world-class researchers in various fields, and to send out their research results from Fukuoka, the site of the Fukuoka Declaration, to the world.
Many emerging infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, SARS, and MERS, are zoonotic infections, and in preparation for the next emerging infectious disease, it is important for us to think of the health of humans, animals, and the environment as an interconnected whole, and practice One Health philosophy in an integrated manner.

Last year, an expert committee consisting of specialists from international organizations and research institutes working to promote One Health was established to enhance the forum's expertise further. We had support from the Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations (FAVA) One Health Fukuoka Office as the secretariat of the Executive Committee of this forum. FAVA has a network of international organizations and researchers in various Asian countries and also offers planning and cooperation for One Health programs.
For this year's forum, which is the fifth in the series, everyone in the executive committee, the expert committee, and the FAVA One Health Fukuoka Office have continued to work hard to make the forum even better. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those involved.

In Fukuoka Prefecture, the "Fukuoka Prefecture One Health Promotion Basic Ordinance" was enacted in December 2020, the first of its kind in Japan. The "Fukuoka One Health Action Plan" was developed in March 2022, and the "Ordinance Related to Promotion and Practice of One Health in Fukuoka, including the Creation of Better Relationships with the Environment, Humans, and Animals," was enacted in October 2022.
Based on that action plan, we are currently moving forward to develop the country's first One Health Center to be a base for implementing One Health practice in conjunction with the Institute of Health and Environmental Sciences, which has human health and environmental conservation operations, and the Animal Hygiene Service Center, which centralizes the handling of the health and hygiene of livestock, wild animals, and pets.
Also, in September 2024, Fukuoka Prefecture and the State of Hawaii signed a "Memorandum of Understanding for the Promotion of One Health," to collaborate on initiatives to promote One Health education, human resource development, and raising public awareness. Furthermore, Fukuoka Prefecture has agreed with Hanoi, Vietnam in October 2024 and with Bangkok, Thailand in November 2024 to hold further discussions to conclude additional memorandums of understanding to advance specific initiatives to promote the One Health approach.

We will continue to make these efforts to promote the One Health approach with our overseas friendship regions and contribute to the promotion of One Health not only in Japan but also in Asia and the world, with the aim of making Fukuoka Prefecture a globally advanced region for One Health. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
In conclusion, it is our desire that this forum will provide an opportunity for active discussion of One Health issues, further deepen the understanding of One Health in the minds of as many people as possible, and spread actions and activities that are based on the One Health philosophy. I would like to wish all the participants good health and continued success.