Experts are urging governments and agencies to build fully integrated surveillance systems. These systems should link community-level data from human, animal, plant and environmental sectors so new threats can be detected early and acted upon.
A virtual roundtable on Thursday (12 December), organised by SciDev.Net and CABI, brought specialists to discuss research and practice. The One Health Horizon Scanning report, led by One Health Hub through the Juno Evidence Alliance, identified five research priority areas and ranked integrated surveillance as the most urgent.
Panelists said many countries collect large amounts of health data but these are often siloed and not used well. They stressed surveillance must be operational and work at community level so people can trust and use the information.
Difficult words
- surveillance — continuous watching to find health problems early
- community-level — related to local towns or neighbourhoods
- sector — a part of work or public servicessectors
- detect — to find something that was hidden or unknowndetected
- act — to take action or do somethingacted
- operational — ready to use and working in practice
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think community-level surveillance is important? Why or why not?
- Would you trust health information from local sources? Explain briefly.
- Which of the human, animal, plant or environmental sectors is most important in your area?
Related articles
Mental health conditions raise risk of injury
A large study in Nature Mental Health found people with mental health conditions have higher risks of self-harm, assault and unintentional injuries. The research used population records and had US federal funding and calls for better prevention.
Pet care at One Health Clinic helps youth get medical care
A study found that youth experiencing homelessness were more likely to receive medical care when clinics also offered veterinary care for their pets. The research looked at clients of the One Health Clinic in downtown Seattle and records from 2019–2022.
