As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, human health is inextricably linked to the health of animals and the environment. This understanding lies at the heart of the One Health concept—an approach that encourages ‘two-eyed seeing’, or embracing multiple perspectives, to achieve optimal health outcomes for people, animals, and ecosystems. With Asia facing challenges such as rapid urbanisation, climate change, and a rising burden of infectious diseases like dengue, the implementation of One Health in the region is more crucial than ever.
Traditional Knowledge of the One Health Concept
The One Health concept is built on the premise that the health of humans, animals, and the environment is deeply intertwined. It promotes the idea that by addressing health issues across these domains in a coordinated manner, we can prevent and control the spread of diseases more effectively.
While modern science now advocates the One Health approach, it is not a new concept. Its core principles have been part of indigenous knowledge for centuries. Many indigenous cultures, such as the Dayak people of Borneo, the Igorot and Aeta of the Philippines, and the Gond and Bhil of India, have long recognised the deep interconnections between the well-being of their communities, the animals they depend on, and the natural environment. Their traditional ecological knowledge was woven into their way of life, often centred around sustainable practices, respect for ecosystems, and the understanding that human health is intrinsically tied to the health of animals and nature.
Climate Change and Diseases in Asia
Asia is particularly vulnerable to climate-related infectious diseases due to its large population, biodiversity, and diverse ecosystems. As the planet warms, vectors like mosquitoes thrive, altering the transmission patterns of diseases such as dengue. In Southeast Asia, dengue cases have risen steadily over the past few decades, partly due to climate factors like increased temperatures and erratic rainfall, which create ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Monkeypox is posing a greater risk in countries like India, Indonesia, and Thailand. Climate change affects the spread of such diseases through several mechanisms: altering wildlife habitats and increasing human-animal interactions, changing the distribution of disease vectors, influencing migration patterns that bring people into new disease environments, and stressing public health systems, making it harder to manage outbreaks.
On another note, climate change increases the risk of zoonotic foodborne illnesses by making livestock more vulnerable to infections and promoting pests that act as disease vectors. It also affects seafood health, as changes in ocean conditions impact the survival and transmission of infections that can spread to humans through marine environments. Thus there is a greater need for surveillance of such diseases, particularly in the context of climate change, and this is a key focus of One Health. By monitoring disease patterns in both animals and humans, integrating surveillance and addressing root causes across human, animal and environmental dimensions, both the risk of future events and their impact can be greatly reduced.
Environmental Health
Environmental degradation, deforestation, and climate change are critical and interconnected issues in Asia. Countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia are experiencing significant deforestation, often to expand agricultural land for palm oil production. This leads to habitat destruction, increased human-wildlife interactions, and a higher likelihood of zoonotic disease transmission.
One Health recognises the need to protect ecosystems and promote sustainable land-use practices. By addressing the root causes of environmental degradation, it helps to mitigate public health risks and preserve biodiversity, which is crucial for maintaining ecological balance.
Implementation of One Health in Asian Countries
Several Asian nations have taken significant steps toward implementing the One Health concept:
- Thailand established a national One Health coordination mechanism, which includes government agencies, academic institutions, and international organisations working together to combat zoonotic diseases and address climate-related health threats.
- Indonesia has also made strides, particularly in zoonotic disease surveillance. The country has launched initiatives to integrate human and animal health surveillance systems to monitor disease outbreaks, especially in regions vulnerable to both zoonotic and vector-borne diseases.
- Vietnam has been successful in using the One Health approach to manage avian influenza outbreaks, and it is now applying these lessons to monitor dengue, which is also affected by changing climate patterns.
Moving Forward
While there has been progress, challenges remain in fully realising the potential of One Health in Asia. In some countries, the implementation of One Health is still fragmented, with health, agriculture, and environment sectors operating in silos. Barriers such as insufficient funding, inadequate infrastructure, lack of coordination between ministries, and limited community inclusion hinder its success. To address these challenges effectively, it is crucial to integrate One Health policies across sectors, fostering collaboration that equally prioritises human, animal, and environmental health. Governments, stakeholders, and communities must unite to ensure a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient health approach, treating the well-being of all species and ecosystems as interconnected and equally important.
References
- World Health Organization (WHO). “One Health.” Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/one-health
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “One Health in Action.” Available from: https://www.fao.org/one-health/en/
- DeLuca KA, Johnson JDW, Olson DRL, et al. Climate change and foodborne illness: a review of current evidence. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(10):5352. doi:10.3390/ijerph18105352. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8583238/
- Harrison, S., Baker, M.G., Benschop, J. et al. One Health Aotearoa: a transdisciplinary initiative to improve human, animal and environmental health in New Zealand. One Health Outlook 2, 4 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-020-0011-0
- Shafique, M., Khurshid, M., Muzammil, S. et al. Traversed dynamics of climate change and One Health. Environ Sci Eur 36, 135 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-024-00931-8
- Gao, Shan, et al. “Driving effect of multiplex factors on Mpox in global high-risk region, implication for Mpox based on one health concept.” One Health 17 (2023): 100597.
- Chakraborty, C., Bhattacharya, M., Pandya, P., & Dhama, K. (2022). Monkeypox in South-East Asia: Is an alarming bell for this region? – Correspondence. International journal of surgery (London, England), 106, 106917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2022.106917
- Tangwangvivat, Ratanaporn, et al. “Collective activities of the Thai Coordinating Unit for One Health (CUOH): Past activities and future directions.” One Health 18 (2024): 100728.
- World Health Organization. (2024, January 25). Building resilience: The Indonesia One Health Joint Plan of Action. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/indonesia/news/detail/25-01-2024-building-resilience–the-indonesia-one-health-joint-plan-of-action
