Human, nonhuman animal and ecological health are inextricably linked. Because we live with, and rely on, animals, decisions about how to manage the risks of animal disease and ecological change have important socioeconomic, political and ethical implications. One Health has emerged as a holistic approach to the threats posed to human health by other species and our shared environment. How we understand and seek to manage our relationship with the natural world effects social and economic inequities and the distribution of benefits and burdens between humans and other species.
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are a significant risk to our region. One Health approaches to EIDs emphasize connections between human, nonhuman animal and ecological health, enhancing capacity for disease prediction and intervention. Funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), we are currently conducting empirical and theoretical work to develop a better understanding of the potential benefits and burdens of new ‘One Health’ models for the governance of the human-animal-ecosystem interface.
This study is approved by The University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee [Approval Number: 2015/009] and is supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council [NHMRC – Grant 1083079].
Images used on this site are sourced from Wiki commons. They are: “Dingoes feeding on a cattle carcass” by CSIRO, “Greyman cattle” by Cgoodwin, “Hens DSC00365” by David Monniaux, “Numurkah_flying_foxes.007” by Terra, “Wild_ducks_in_Ryckevelde” by Michiel Dumon, “Wind farm” by David Clarke [Public domain], “MRSA Brown” by via Wikimedia Commons.