A new international research program has been launched to help address the growing rate of animal to human (zoonotic) diseases across South-East Asia and the Pacific.
In a joint statement, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Marise Payne and Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, David Littleproud said Australia would allocate $10.2 million over three years to the Research for One Health Systems Strengthening Program.
Senator Payne and Mr Littleproud said the program was being led by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security.
The Ministers said three quarters of emerging infectious diseases were transmitted from animals to humans, and COVID-19 was a stark reminder of how zoonotic diseases could have a devastating impact on communities and health systems around the world.
“Other viruses like SARS and MERS crossed from animal to human in the same way COVID-19 did, with deadly consequences,” Senator Payne said.
“It’s important we do what we can to reduce the risk of the emergence and transmission of new zoonotic diseases, to protect lives and livelihoods into the future,” she said.
Mr Littleproud said health and agricultural systems would better protect communities if they were purposefully integrated and the One Health program would help to improve this integration.
Senator Payne and Mr Littleproud said the research would address zoonotic diseases in Indonesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Laos PDR and Vietnam.
