title: Biodiversity and health: Lessons and recommendations from an interdisciplinary conference to advise Southeast Asian research, society and policy.
abstract: Southeast Asia is an economic, biodiverse, cultural and disease hotspot. Due to rapid socio-economic and environmental changes, the role of biodiversity and ecosystems for human health ought to be examined and communicated to decision-makers and the public. We therefore summarized the lessons and recommendations from an interdisciplinary conference convened in Cambodia in 2014 to advise Southeast Asian societies on current research efforts, future research needs, and to provide suggestions for improved education, training and science-policy interactions. First, we reviewed several examples of the important role of ecosystems as 'sentinels' in the sense that potentially harmful developments for human health become first apparent in ecosystem components. Other ecosystem services which also benefit human well-being are briefly summarized. Second, we summarized the recommendations of the conference's roundtable discussions and added recent developments in the science-policy interface. The recommendations were organized along five themes: Ethical and legal considerations; implementation of the One Health approach; education, training, and capacity building; future research priorities; and potential science-policy interactions. While the role of biodiversity for human health needs further research, especially for zoonoses and emerging diseases, many direct and indirect benefits to human health are already apparent, but have yet to filter down to the science-policy interface in order to influence legislation and enforcement. Therefore, efforts to strengthen the interface in Southeast Asia should become a high priority in order to strengthen the health and resilience of Southeast Asian societies.
authors.affiliation: Master Program in Global Health and Development, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing St., Taipei 110, Taiwan, R.O.C. Electronic address: bawalther2009@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bruno Andreas
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.affiliation: UMR_D 190 Unité des Virus Emergents Aix-Marseille Université - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005, Marseille cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boëte
authors.affiliation: CIRAD-ES, UPR AGIRs, F-34398, Montpellier, France; Kasetsart University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Binot
authors.affiliation: Fondation Mérieux, 73 Boulevard Monivong, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors.forename: Youlet
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: By
authors.affiliation: CIRAD-ES, UPR AGIRs, F-34398, Montpellier, France; Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Epidemiology and Public Health Unit, BP, 983, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cappelle
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit - Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme, 764 Vo Van Kiet, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Centre for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Oxford University, Old Road Campus Oxford, OX3 7BN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrique-Mas
authors.affiliation: University of Health Sciences, 73 Boulevard Monivong, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors.forename: Monidarin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Fauna & Flora International, PO Box 1380, No. 19, Street 360, Boeng Keng Kang 1, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 12000.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Furey
authors.affiliation: University of Health Sciences, 73 Boulevard Monivong, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors.forename: Sothea
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: UMR URMITE, U1095 INSERM - Aix-Marseille Université - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CNRS, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lajaunie
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, Lab. Evolution & Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174 CNRS - Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Sovan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lek
authors.affiliation: UMR GRED (IRD - University Paul Valery Montpellier 3), 911 av. agropolis, BP, 64501 34 394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; Ecoland Research Centre - Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) Faculty of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development Dangkor district, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Méral
authors.affiliation: Ecoland Research Centre - Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) Faculty of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development Dangkor district, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors.forename: Malyne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neang
authors.affiliation: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
authors.forename: Boon-Huan
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.affiliation: CIRAD-ES, UPR AGIRs, F-34398, Montpellier, France; CNRS, Centre d'Infectiologie Christophe Mérieux du Laos, Vientiane, Laos; Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morand
mesh_terms: D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D044822:Biodiversity; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education* / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence
keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Biodiversity; Ecosystem services; Evolution; Science–policy interface; Southeast Asia