One Health - a strategy for resilience in a changing arctic.
The circumpolar north is uniquely vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change. While international Arctic collaboration on health has enhanced partnerships and advanced the health of inhabitants, significant challenges lie ahead. One Health is an approach that considers the connections between the environment, plant, animal and human health. Understanding this is increasingly critical in assessing the impact of global climate change on the health of Arctic inhabitants. The effects of climate change are complex and difficult to predict with certainty. Health risks include changes in the distribution of infectious disease, expansion of zoonotic diseases and vectors, changing migration patterns, impacts on food security and changes in water availability and quality, among others. A regional network of diverse stakeholder and transdisciplinary specialists from circumpolar nations and Indigenous groups can advance the understanding of complex climate-driven health risks and provide community-based strategies for early identification, prevention and adaption of health risks in human, animals and environment. We propose a regional One Health approach for assessing interactions at the Arctic human-animal-environment interface to enhance the understanding of, and response to, the complexities of climate change on the health of the Arctic inhabitants.
Office of International Health and Biodefense, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, USA; RuscioBA@State.gov.
Bruce A
BA
Ruscio
Center for Climate and Health, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage, AK, USA.
Michael
M
Brubaker
Office of International Health and Biodefense, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, USA.
Joshua
J
Glasser
Global Leadership Programs, Center for Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA.
Will
W
Hueston
Arctic Investigation Program, Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA.
Thomas W
TW
Hennessy
D001110:Arctic Regions; D057231:Climate Change; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D005544:Forecasting; D006285:Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D011050:Policy Making; D044382:Population Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018570:Risk Assessment
Arctic; One Health; circumpolar; climate change; health policy; infectious disease; policy