The Filipino Australian Health Professionals Inc. (FAHPi) serves as strong advocates of the One Health approach and recognizes the significant relationship between human, animal and environmental health in facing current and future complex challenges in the modern world. This concept serves more relevant today in the continuous incidence of both emerging and reemerging disease from animal origin which can be transferrable to humans or what is technically called “Zoonosis” remains a significant biological threat to the public globally. In the past decade alone, we have experienced major disease outbreaks and global health emergencies in the form of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Ebola, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and the most recent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

One Health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is an approach to designing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes.

One Health serves as a collaborative platform for various disciplines, professions and stakeholders to discuss and find solutions about the issues related to health. These issues include the threats to human and animal health such as Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) caused by the changes or adaptation of microorganism’s ability to withstand antimicrobial drugs to treat infections.

One Health confronts the complexities of environmental pollution which directly or indirectly impact the health of animals and humans alike. This can be seen in cases where poor sanitation of human or animal wastes compromise the environment and encourage the proliferation of microbes, which causes disease outbreaks such as diarrhea caused by E. coli and Salmonella infection. In addition, One Health also tackle the development of multifactorial and chronic diseases in the modern age.

Moreover, One Health includes Climate Change, Global Food Security and Biosecurity which requires health practitioners to collaborate in creating evidence-based policies and policies into action implemented through programs derived from One Health approach.

FAHPI as an organization supports the advocacy to increase awareness about One Health among its members, institutional partners, practitioners, policy makers and the general public. Promoting One Health is a strategic approach to strengthen our relationships across sectors and stakeholders to achieve a healthier outcome for Australia and its people.

Dr. Van Joe (VJ) Ibay
Director of Advancement, Research & Policy, FAHPi
Email: fahpinc@gmail.com
Canberra, Australia