Advancing Planetary Health in Australia: focus on emerging infections and antimicrobial resistance

Hill-Cawthorne, Grant; Negin, Joel; Capon, Tony; Gilbert, Gwendolyn L; Nind, Lee; Nunn, Michael; Ridgway, Patricia; Schipp, Mark; Firman, Jenny; Sorrell, Tania C; Marais, Ben J

The 21st century confronts us with profound global challenges such as food, water and energy security, reduced resilience of our planet's life-giving ecosystems and threats from emerging and antimicrobial-resistant infections. According to the World Economic Forum, the spread of infectious diseases is now ranked second only to water crises as the global risk with the greatest likelihood and potential impact, 1 while the One World One Health concept recognises that human and animal health are intimately linked and ultimately dependent on healthy ecosystems. 2 3 In 2015, The Rockefeller Foundation invested US$15 million to establish the pillars of a new discipline called Planetary Health, which identifies the need for integration of social, economic, environmental and health knowledge. 4 In a similar vein, the Wellcome Trust launched the Our Planet, Our Health initiative, investing £75 million over 5 years to explore the link between human health and environmental change. 5 The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also emphasise the dependence of human health on the resilience of the planet's ecosystems, with specific targets that prioritise and focus global action. 6 Within Australia, the 'Foundations for the future: a long-term plan for Australian ecosystem science' report, published in 2014, stated that: 'Our natural and managed ecosystems form the world we live, play and work in; the settings for our industry; and the distinctive natural heritage that characterises the Australian nation. They are the basis of our current and future prosperity, and our national well-being'. 7 However, a national summary box ► The emergence and spread of infectious diseases, including antimicrobial-resistant infections, pose a major health security threat. ► A more holistic approach to emerging infectious diseases (EID) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is essential to encourage 'resilience thinking'.