Syeda Tazrian Islam, Andrea Britton, Peter Black, and Babatunde Balogun
Every 27 December, the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness encourages global reflection on how we build strong and resilient health systems. The 2025 theme, Strengthening Global Health Systems for Future Crises, is particularly relevant for Australia as the interim Australian Centre for Disease Control becomes a permanent entity from 1 January 2026.
Epidemics and emerging infectious diseases rarely arise in isolation and are occurring with increased frequency. Their drivers often sit at the interface of human, animal and environmental health. A One Health approach recognises these connections and supports coordinated action across public health, veterinary science, ecology and environmental management. These integrated ways of working continue to be essential as climate pressures, biodiversity loss, and antimicrobial resistance shape future health risks.
The current global H5 bird flu panzootic has been causing deaths in poultry and wild birds. Its spillover into mammals and dairy cattle is a major concern to Australia given this high pathogenicity avian influenza H5 virus has not been isolated in our surveillance systems. One Health sectors in Australia have proactively responded to the H5 epidemic through national and jurisdictional avian influenza task forces and working groups. Wildlife Health Australia, a member of PHAA, has played a pivotal role in communicating expert information and linking various stakeholders to support a coordinated approach to preparedness. Building strong and resilient health systems for epidemic prevention, preparedness, and response involves a whole-of-government and whole of society approach. In our federated system these approaches can be challenging due to siloed nature of operations and concerns over sharing of data.
While the Australian Centre for Disease Control 2025 legislation did not explicitly establish a One Health Unit, the interim Australian CDC has already taken steps to incorporate One Health capability into its work. Ensuring this focus is maintained within the permanent CDC would strengthen coordination across human, animal and environmental health systems. This continuity would support the broader aims recognised on the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, which highlights the value of collaboration and preparedness across all sectors.
Preventing epidemics in Australia requires investment in upstream drivers of pathogen spillover. The “Partnership for a Healthy Region initiative that aims to support the Pacific and Southeast Asian countries to deliver better health outcomes by incorporating One Health approaches will assist Australian livelihoods.
Across Australia, practitioners, researchers and communities are already demonstrating how joint approaches can improve prevention, early detection and rapid response. The One Health Special Interest Group of PHAA remains committed to supporting these efforts by promoting evidence-informed policy, cross-sector partnerships, and a shared national vision for resilience.
On this International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, we acknowledge the collective responsibility to strengthen systems that protect all communities. A continued commitment to integrated approaches, supported by national leadership through the CDC, will be essential as Australia prepares for future health challenges.
Syeda Tazrian Islam, Andrea Britton, Peter Black and Babatunde Balogun are all members of the Public Health Association’s One Health Special Interest Group
Image: A quarantine training exercise at Atlanta Airport. Credit Theresa Roebuck, US CDC.
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