Scaling Up One Health Approaches in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Project Title	Scaling Up One Health Approaches in the Greater Mekong Subregion
Donor	ADB
Chief investigator	A/Prof Angus Campbell
Co-investigators	Professor Barbara McPake, Max Barot Vibhani, Clare Strachan
Collaborating Organisations

The problem

GMS countries are at high risk for outbreaks of infectious disease, particularly zoonoses, and for transmission across borders, by virtue of their predominantly tropical climates and agroecologies, large rural populations with close, frequent close contact with domestic and wild animals, and consumption of wild animals in some food chains. There is a history of emerging infectious disease (EID) in the GMS region. The porous borders and close interconnection of the GMS countries further increase the risk of spread and emphasise that regional cooperation is a cornerstone of effective health security.

The research

Nossal Institute provided technical support to strengthen cooperation in the health sector among countries of the GMS, currently being supported through the Strengthening Regional Health Cooperation in the Greater Mekong Subregion project. We provided detailed One Health activities in the subregion and recommended how they could be scaled up, including specific investment opportunities.

The impact

This research has had significant impact in the Greater Mekong Subregion. The cross-sectoral business and economic case studies developed have been instrumental in advocating for more effective One Health investment. The One Health Economics educational resource is being used to build capacity in the region.