One Health: A Canadian Public Health Perspective

Public health issues are becoming more complex, routinely involving animal, human and ecosystem health sectors. In the coming years, it is expected that growth in human and livestock populations, climate change, and the globalization of trade in animals and animal products will intensify, creating even more favorable conditions for the emergence of new public health threats. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is acutely aware of the significant economic, social and public health burden that threats, such as SARS, H1N1, H5N1, Lyme disease etc., represent in Canada and worldwide. Currently, PHAC is exploring the One Health approach as a means to prevent and respond to complex public health threats at the animal-human-ecosystem interface. This presentation will focus on antimicrobial resistance as an area of particular importance in Canada and how a One Health approach can be utilized.