One Health

One Health recognises that the health of humans, animals and our environment are all inter-connected.

What is One Health?

Taking a One Health approach promotes a collaborative, multi-sectoral and transdisciplinary approach to health security. From a public health perspective, One Health acknowledges that you cannot achieve optimal health of the global human population if agrifood systems are broken, the environment is polluted, or veterinary systems and services are not adequately resourced to control zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are any infectious disease that is naturally transmissible from animals to humans.

If a One Health concept becomes ‘part of everyday life’ it will enable us to better identify and prevent risk of spillover events, whilst at the same time strengthening the systems that simultaneously keep us safe from disease and provide our food.

ACIAR has a long history of investing in programs that address the linkages between food security and human health through a One Health approach. 

A regional partnership

The Research for One Health Systems Strengthening Program is bringing together leading Australian researchers and regional counterparts to address issues at the critical interface between people, animals and the environment.

The program is a co-investment and partnership between ACIAR and DFAT, through the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security.

The research will address zoonotic malaria in Indonesia, antimicrobial resistance in Fiji, extrapulmonary tuberculosis and zoonotic arboviruses in Papua New Guinea, highly pathogenic avian influenza policies and implementation in Cambodia, Laos PDR and Vietnam.

The Australian research institutions receiving funding through the program include CSIRO, Menzies School of Health Research, University of Melbourne’s Nossal Institute for Global Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness and the Burnet Institute.

ACIAR/IDRC Research Program on One Health 

Together with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), ACIAR is investing in a new One Health research program, promoting a collaborative, multi-sectoral and integrated approach to ensure the health of humans, animals and our environment across six countries in East and South-East Asia.

Jointly funded for AUD$4.3 million, the ACIAR/IDRC Research Program on One Health (AIRPOH), will form a portfolio of interconnected projects supporting research that will have a transformative impact on human, animal and environmental health.

Visit the AIRPOH webpage for more information.