Comparative Analysis of One Health Policies in Asia for Exploring Opportunities for British Columbia in Canada

In response to emerging challenges that intersect humans, animals, and environments, there is growing international exigent need to adopt ‘One Health’ approaches. While One Health efforts are emerging in British Columbia in Canada, there are still challenges to overcome in the adoption of a One Health approach in policymaking. We conducted a comparative analysis of One Health policies in Asia, specifically, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and Thailand, which have well-established and sophisticated One Health approaches, to determine good practices in the implementation of One Health that could be considered for adoption in British Columbia. We conducted a literature review and scan of public-facing One Health websites, strategic action plans, and health databases, complemented by 13 semi-structured interviews with researchers, educators, service providers, human and animal health experts, and policymakers in our chosen Asian jurisdictions and British Columbia. While there was diversity in the One Health approaches taken by four jurisdictions, three key characteristics were present in policymaking processes in all of them: a national One Health strategic action plan, inter-ministerial coordination, and flexibility in the working relationships of public servants. One Health presents an opportunity for British Columbia to take a novel approach to public health policymaking, the one that is more holistic and effective at addressing shared health challenges.