Despite our remarkable advances in modern medicine and public health, we are still facing the persistent emergence of new diseases. The relentless pace of urbanisation, coupled with intensive food production and agricultural practices, has resulted in a staggering 75% of emerging infectious diseases linked to animals. Demographic shifts, societal upheavals, and behavioural changes have given rise to catastrophic outbreaks and pandemics, such as COVID-19. And let us not forget the insidious non-infectious diseases like cancers, brought about by relentless pollution and the current and future impact of climate change on global health. These global health challenges require a One Health approach.
“One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. It recognizes the health of humans, animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent” (One Health High-Level Expert Panel).
Introducing One Health into practical action is essential at all levels of society. But how can we make it happen? This is where our project on “One Health Operationalisation” comes into play.
We are actively engaged in conducting surveys, workshops, and interviews with key stakeholders across various sectors in South Australia and Nationally. Our goal is to understand the actions towards operationalising One Health and to assess the current capabilities and infrastructure related to One Health. Demonstrating the evidence for a systems approach across the whole of government and non-government sectors for successful implementation of One Health will contribute to developing comprehensive strategies and frameworks that will consolidate and promote the implementation of a robust One Health approach in South Australia, and more broadly, in Australia.
We are inviting Environment Institute members who work in One Health or are interested in One Health to participate in a workshop bringing together the three sectors to discuss how One Health is operationalised in South Australia. By sharing your knowledge and experiences regarding the challenges and opportunities surrounding the operationalisation of One Health, you can contribute to the development of a roadmap that fosters balanced and sustainable health for all.
Workshop for Operationalising One Health in South Australia
We are senior lecturers in the School of Public Health and the School of Animal and Veterinary Science at The University of Adelaide, and we are conducting research concerning the Operationalisation of One Health in South Australia.
What is involved?
We are reaching out to you because you are working or conducting research in animal, human, or environmental health — the three key sectors for implementing a One Health approach. We are organising a workshop to bring together the three sectors to gain an in-depth understanding of how One Health is operationalised in South Australia.
We would like to invite you to participate in this workshop and share your experiences about how One Health can be implemented to integrate human, animal, and environmental health sectors. This information is important to help us understand the current systems in place that guide One Health efforts in South Australia for better prevention, preparedness, and response — not only for future pandemics but other public health threats and hazards such as climate change.
Date and time: Friday, 17th November 2023 from 9:30-11:30 am.
Venue: Room 4050 (Fourth floor) Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences building – The University of Adelaide, 4 North Terrace Adelaide, SA 5000. Link to the map- https://maps.app.goo.gl/5tBkmubbfAxWygDR9
The workshop will be face-to-face, held in Adelaide, and will be facilitated by a qualified workshop facilitator independent of this study. Please click on the following link for more information and to register for this workshop—
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at priyanka.multani@adelaide.edu.au.
Lead image: Thddbfk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
