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Internationally, multiple outbreaks of zoonotic origin have shown the importance of understanding One Health, recognising that the health of people, animals and our shared environment are closely connected. One Health is relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia where people and animals live closely together, many without access to animal health care and associated environmental health practices. One Health is also aligned with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and cultural values that recognise the integral relationships between people, animals and the environment. While One Health has been promoted as an effective approach to understanding and combatting global health risks, understanding of the concept within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is poorly understood with limited evidence and implementation of One Health approaches.

This PhD exit seminar will present findings that explored One Health within the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia. The research was undertaken by an Aboriginal-led multidisciplinary research team, adopting Indigenous research methodologies and One Health approaches, recognising the cultural knowledge surrounding the interconnectedness between animal, human, and environmental health. The aims were to explore and understand the evidence base on One Health and Indigenous communities internationally, investigate the epidemiology of zoonoses among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, and develop a One Health data collection and analysis framework for communities, with findings used to inform the development of a community One Health model.

Bio

Tamara Riley is a PhD Candidate within the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research at NCEPH. Tamara’s background is in veterinary science and applied epidemiology. Her research focuses on One Health (the relationships between animal, human and environmental health) within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.