What does One Health action look like in our region?
One Health Day is observed globally in November to promote the need to work across sectors and disciplines to tackle some of the world’s health and wellbeing challenges. However, enthusiasm for One Health doesn’t always translate into effective action on the ground. To celebrate One Health Day, Nossal Institute hosted a panel of experts to discuss what action on One Health looks like for Australia and the Indo-Pacific Region. Professor Tim Flannery (Climate Council); Dr Rachel Iglesias (Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries); Professor Benjamin Cowie (Acting Chief Health Officer, Victoria); and Associate Professor Angus Campbell (Nossal Institute for Global Health), brought their unique perspectives on One Health action to an informative discussion.
One Health is about the interconnectedness of the health and wellbeing of humans, animals and ecosystems — the different flows of cause and effect, and the need to share ideas and work together to realise potential shared benefits or avoid crossed purposes. These ideas have been around for a very long time. Indigenous Australians explain that “if you look after Country, it will look after you”, encapsulating a timeless understanding of the links between the health and wellbeing of the landscape, individuals and the wider community.
My understanding of the Indigenous world view is that the people aren't separate from the environment and so they value that environment as being part of themselves, not even essential to themselves, part of themselves. If we can actually start to take that world view, these issues are things that we actually have to sort out. - Rachel Iglesias
Upholding the wellbeing and health of people, animals and the environment means we need cross-sectoral understanding and solutions to threats such as diseases that can jump between animals and people (‘zoonoses’). But One Health also should consider wider issues such as habitat and species loss. These things, amongst others, may not only lead to disease spillover but threaten our supply of clean water and arable land, and sustainable and equitable food production, which are key determinants of health.
We’ve somehow we've lost that direct link…between Community cohesion and wellbeing and the environment, as we've become alienated from it. If you buy your food in the shop, you don't know where it comes from it's harder to make that link. Education's got a big part to play around that One Health message. - Tim Flannery
Despite a growing array of regional and global One Health initiatives, implementation isn’t as advanced as it should be. Why? After sharing what One Health action means from their varied perspectives, panellists drew on their expertise to respond to what ‘working together’ and ‘integrated approaches’ might actually look like.
The conversation showed that, in fact, there are good working examples of One Health from across Australia and the region. Sometimes they simply work and so go unrecognised. Or they look different from traditional ideas of One Health-style control of a specific disease. For example, One Health actions may take the form of respectful, considered community engagement that creates support for community-managed conservation areas to protect endangered species, with health benefits flowing from these new social structures. Or One Health implementation might look like actively supporting wildlife health organisations to monitor animals for emerging diseases, that simultaneously provides an early warning system for human health and also helps preserve biodiversity.
Equity is a fundamental consideration; in everything we do, we need to be thinking really profoundly about the equity dimensions of every policy, every programme, every activity we do, whether that's locally, nationally or globally. - Ben Cowie
The panellists remarked that, at the core of these activities and what’s often missing when One Health doesn’t translate from good intentions into impact, is understanding and responding to the different perspectives and needs of One Health stakeholders. The discussion showed how important it is to include communities, and acknowledge that a diverse range of people have important roles to play in delivering these benefits to humans, animals and the environment.
Trust, teamwork, equity, diversity—a foundation for action on One Health.
Missed the discussion? Watch the recording
Associate Professor Angus Campbell, heads Nossal’s One Health Unit. He is a livestock veterinarian and epidemiologist with over 20 years’ experience working in One Health, international agricultural development and livelihood security.