3 November marked One Health Day, an international day to bring global attention to the One Health approach.
In 2021, the One Health High Level Expert Panel defined One Health as “an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognises the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent. The approach mobilises multiple sectors, disciplines and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems, while addressing the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate changes and contributing to sustainable development”.
Inclusivity, equity and access are embedded within One Health, as such, it is being increasingly recognised as an important holistic approach to address high levels of socio-economic disadvantage and inequality. This is why AMRRIC’s work is underpinned by One Health values, and we continue to highlight the need for increased funding and support of One Health in an Australian context.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the interconnection between human health and the health of animals (both domestic and wild) and the health of the environment and thus the integral importance of the One Health approach. The most recent State of the Environment 2021 report showed our environment is under extreme pressure. Concurrently, there continues to be a myriad of challenges to human health, particularly in remote Indigenous communities, and much work to do to ‘Close the gap’ on Indigenous disadvantage; as well as a broad suite of complex challenges to the health of domestic and native animals in Australia.
On this One Health Day, AMRRIC looks forward to developing stronger collaborations with the environmental, human health and social science sectors to work together as well while generally encouraging the broader uptake and application of One Health in Australia.
