The Environment, the silent partner of the one health triad

The One Health approach is a global public health strategy that emphasises collaboration and communication across human, animal, and environmental health domains to achieve optimal well-being. Originating in response to zoonotic outbreaks like SARS and Ebola (and later COVID), it is integral to various global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. As an Environmental Scientist and former manager of the Environment Health Team and then Principal Adviser at Biosecurity New Zealand, I came in close contact with the One Health approach and was challenged by how the environment is often marginalized despite its crucial role in the One Health Triad. Antimicrobial resistance is an excellent example of this neglect. Despite our understanding of climate change as a “threat multiplier”, its direct and indirect impacts on the health of the environment also remain poorly documented and understood. At a more fundamental level, lies the question of what is environment health and how we measure it. New Zealand Indigenous Māori communities have a holistic view of “health”, where everything is interconnected and the environment (alongside physical, spiritual, mental and community health), plays a vital role in health and wellbeing. This leads to question whether the current One Health approach serves all cultures and communities. In this talk, I will share my personal views about the role of the environment in One Health and how we could achieve better outcomes by giving it a voice (or perhaps diverse voices).

Disclaimer: These are my personal views only and do not represent those of any organisation I am currently or was previously affiliated with.

About the lecturer

 Born in Colombia, Andrea is a Chemical Ecologist with an undergraduate degree in Biology from Universidad Javeriana (Colombia), a Master’s degree in Plant Protection from Universidad Nueva Granada (Colombia), and a PhD in Ecology from Friedrich Schiller University (Germany). She currently resides in New Zealand, where she worked for Massey University and the Ministry for Primary Industries (Biosecurity New Zealand). She is now an independent consultant. Her area of expertise lies in the effects of environmental change on species interactions and the impact of invasive exotic species on agricultural and natural ecosystems. Andrea recognizes the natural, spiritual, and cultural value of native species and ecosystems for indigenous communities, and is committed to supporting their aspirations to preserve these resources for future generations. For more information, you can visit the following links:

ResearchGate

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