One Health in policy development: an integrated approach to translating science into policy.

Abstract

This chapter presents case studies from New Zealand and South East Asia to illustrate the added value of using a One Health approach in policy development and the benefits of taking an integrated transdisciplinary approach when translating science into policy. It describes how disease prevention and control policies for avian influenza have been developed in New Zealand using a transdisciplinary One Health approach. It also describes policy responses to influenza A H5N1 in South East Asia (particularly in Vietnam), and policy development for poultry meat safety in Thailand. These 2 examples from South East Asia illustrate that where health policy is to be effective in preventing zoonotic disease transmission in a highly populated region with multiple political borders, policy must be developed and implemented at local, national and regional levels. Such policy depends on the successful integration of transdisciplinary teamwork that includes social scientists and community members in decision making and recognition of the complexity of the ecology of diseases such as avian influenza.