Welcome to the Interdisciplinary Collaboration on One Health (One Health Hub)

This initiative is supported by the School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong to bring people and communities together for One Health

WHY
ONE HEALTH? 

The health of humans, animals, and our shared environment is deeply interconnected. One Health is an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to solve complex health challenges at the human-animal-environment interface. However, implementing One Health solutions faces significant barriers, including misaligned goals between stakeholders, ineffective cross-disciplinary communication, and weak governance, which fragment efforts across sectors. The Interdisciplinary Collaboration on One Health (One Health Hub) bridges four divisions within the School of Public Health, leveraging a systems perspective to foster synergistic collaborations, drive innovative solutions, improve education and training, and find practical ways to change behaviors and shape better policies for a healthier world.

As Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said “It’s obvious that we can only protect and promote the health of humans by protecting and promoting the health of animals, and the planet on which all life depends.”

OUR MISSION

The Interdisciplinary Collaboration Hub on One Health (One Health Hub) is dedicated to advancing solutions for complex health challenges at the human-animal-environment interface, embodying the One Health approach. By bringing together the diverse strengths of the School of Public Health and empowering the community, we create opportunities for collective action aimed at achieving population health outcomes. Through strategic knowledge exchange, collaborative research partnerships, and dynamic community outreach, we tackle urgent issues such as antimicrobial resistance, emerging infectious diseases, and the far-reaching effects of climate change.

OUR PRIMARY FOCUS AREAS

A One Health approach in tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) 

The School of Public Health has actively pursued a range of initiatives to tackle the issue head-on, employing a comprehensive One Health approach to deepen understanding and drive effective solutions since the roll out of the “Hong Kong Strategy and Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance” in 2017. The One Health hub will continue to build on the gains of the past and take the lead in a unified manner hereon:

Our priorities include but not limited to: 

  • Bringing together experts and voices from our School and other organizations and institutions from Hong Kong and beyond to share latest studies, knowledge, current discussions
  • Working together on strategic research with key partners on AMR anchored on One Health approach
  • Use our research and people to help the general public be aware of the impact of AMR and the importance of responsible use of antibiotics
  • We provide technical advice and support on the development of policies and practices grounded in solid research

A One Health solutions for emerging infectious diseases (EID) 

We aim to strengthen the integration of different disciplines within the School and beyond for a stronger multi-pronged actions for a healthier Hong Kong:

  • Working closely with stakeholders and the government to translate science and research into effective actions that help reduce the spread of emerging infectious diseases
  • Conducting assessment on people’s knowledge, attitude, perception and behavioural change on various health-related interventions to manage public health responses during outbreaks
  • Contribute studies on how the movement of animals, including livestock and wildlife trade, contributes to the emergence of new diseases
  • Collaborate with experts in ecology, geography, and environmental science to understand the impact of climate change in the spread of emerging infectious diseases

 A One Health Education and Awareness

One Health maybe new to many, and as public health educators, we are dedicated to advancing education amongst our learners and offer these blocks of knowledge with the community to promote positive health outcomes. We will achieve this through:

  • Organising series of seminars and conversations on One Health, AMR, EID and Climate Change that are open and free for public
  • Organising a community fun day in November 2025 as a contribution to the global efforts to raise awareness about One Health and AMR
  • Development of teaching and learning resources that can be used or integrated in the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the Faculty of Medicine
  • Open-sharing and free access to these resources for the members of the community – schools, teachers of institutions in Hong Kong and beyond
  • Building a repository of case studies on One Health in AMR, EID, and Climate Change
  • Translating science to practice to improve public understanding on the interconnectedness of human health with animal and environment health