Phase 2 - One Health Framework

One Health is an integrated, unifying perspective that highlights the need to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. Acknowledging the close and interdependent nature of these three domains enables actors across sectors to work collaboratively to identify and address ongoing and emerging threats through sustainable, holistic, and effective interventions. A One Health approach to health protection and promotion is becoming even more critical as the impacts of climate change, disruptions in environmental conditions and habitats accelerated by human activities, and growing antimicrobial resistance reshape global risks. The COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan released by the World Health Organization (WHO) stresses the necessity of utilizing a One Health approach to manage current and future zoonotic pathogens.

Within the province of British Columbia, there are multiple actors engaged in activities relevant to a One Health approach. These include provincial ministries such as Health, Agriculture and Food, Environment and Climate Change Strategy, Forests, and Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship; provincial agencies such as the BC Centre for Disease Control; Indigenous nations, Regional Health Authorities; various industry partners; municipal governments; academic partners; and federal actors such as Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Historically, combinations of these actors have come together – at times for several months, at times for multiple years - to provide a One Health response to critical issues like highly pathogenic avian influenza, significant and prolonged Salmonella Enteritidis outbreaks, the emergence of West Nile virus, and the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in animal populations. These partnerships have, ultimately, been largely effective, but also challenged by legislative barriers to timely data sharing; sustaining key response activities due to a lack of resources; and the absence of a clear framework and continuous governance table which could promote efficacious collaboration/resource stewardship among agencies, direct research priorities, support advance planning for future emergencies, and promote the development of relationships among key One Health actors.

Further details as to the scope of this opportunity and the requirements can be found within this RFP Appendix B.