Abstract TBC

Indigenous perspectives on Planetary Health radically change the usual perspective on health futures, the planet and our broad thinking about health in a future of extreme climate and environmental change. I will speak about my recent work with Indigenous people worldwide to consider what we as Indigenous people think ‘health’ is from our own holistic perspectives. To think about how this can contribute to deeper discussions about planetary health futures that decentre the human from debates about planetary health that privilege the human and requires the environment to be ‘safe’ for humans so that we can be healthy.

I share a case study from my most recent research with communities in western NSW, ‘Talking about Health in Wiradjuri’ conducted in Orange and Condobolin, see website https://yarnhealth.com.au/. The participants in this project were very clear that they do not privilege their own health over that of their Country and all that is in Country Country being the term we use to talk about our homelands, and all that is in and on the land and waters associated with our homelands is part of Country. They see health as the product of a symbiotic relationship between people and Country. If Country is sick people are sick, if people are sick Country is sick. We cannot see our own health as more important than the health of everything else whether it is an animal, a plant, a rock, a body of water or even a grain of sand. This is a hard concept for people who do not have this same relationship with the environment. Usually, planetary health scholarship privileges the human and requires the environment to be well so that humans can be well and does not consider the environment as having its own rights to health, independent of the rights of humans to good health.

Indigenous Planetary Health thinking can open up our minds to a better, more sustainable future for everything on and of this planet.

“It is all Connected: One Health in Action Case Studies” explores how a One Health approach is being applied in real world scenarios across Australia. Drawing on the presenters’ firsthand experience leading responses to events such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, Japanese Encephalitis, Salmonella Enteriditis and Hendra virus, this presentation highlights how experts and partners across sectors collaborate to protect human, animal and environmental health.

In a rapidly changing world, where humans, animals, plants, microbes, and vectors interact in increasingly complex ways, these case studies illustrate the practical implementation of One Health principles. It examines what effective One Health action looks like, how partnerships are build and sustained and the lessons learned from navigating emerging health threats. It offers insights into the evolving challenges and opportunities in creating a healthier, more resilient future for all species and the ecosystems we share.