VN November 2021

Vetnews | November 2021 7 While the One Health concept focuses on the connections between human, animal, and environmental health, this is not excluding other disciplines. Methods from social sciences, such as anthropology, can be beneficial to understand behaviours andmake risk communication effective. A One-Health approach can also benefit economic and financial analysis. A better understanding of the problem and the potential solutions can also inform the smart use of budgetary resources. One Health in Action. A long-term One Health study underway between several South African and international institutions improves understanding of the epidemiology, ecology, and socio-economic risks and impacts of Rift Valley fever (RVF). RVF is a climate-sensitive disease that can result when mosquito hatching, breeding and survival are supported by prolonged and above-normal rainfall 4 . The study looks at a range of factors: evidence of exposure in humans, animals, and mosquitos; precipitation, vegetation, and soil; and production systems and animal health and biosecurity practices. Bringing these factors together allows for significant associations to be identified that could otherwise be missed 5 . The study also has a One Health economics component, examining potential multi-sectoral costs and losses related to RVF (Figure 2). For example, we saw the total estimated cost of the 2010-2011 outbreaks extended far beyond the significant loss of trade revenue, affecting human productivity losses and a range of other industries. Over 15 years (2003-2018), the spending on prevention was only a tiny fraction of the total cost of RVF. This matches an overall global trend in failing to adequately invest in disease prevention and instead being stuck responding to outbreaks, often at a high cost. A One-Health approach also reminds us that in addition to co-benefits, there may be trade-offs of some ways of preventing or controlling disease risks and safeguarding human, animal, and environmental health. With a One Health approach, veterinarians can better know about expected impacts in their sector and other sectors. Leading Article Figure 2. Types of costs and losses examined for Rift Valley fever using a ‘One Health economics’ approach. Made with images from LucidChart and Vecteezy.com. >>> 8