One Health in impact assessment to tackle emerging infectious diseases and other threats
This chapter explores how the One Health approach can be integrated into Health Impact Assessments to address drivers of emerging infectious diseases. It examines risks associated with land use change, livestock production, transportation networks, water related projects, and tourism while considering impacts on human, animal, environmental, and economic health.
Subject Tags
- Health
- Land management
Abstract
Infections from emerging diseases, defined as those rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range, cause millions of deaths each year and significant economic damage. The frequency and impact of these events could be reduced by addressing the drivers associated with emergence risk, which are generally missed in the scope of existing impact assessments. Five specific contexts are used to explore high-risk industries: land use change due to extractive industry/industries; livestock production and farming; roads and increased connectivity; water-related projects; and tourism activities. Using the integrated and unifying approach of One Health, which aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems, this chapter discusses the drivers affecting disease emergence, the relevant impacts on human, animal, environmental and economic health, and the integration of this topic into Health Impact Assessments (HIA) and sector planning processes, including throughout HIA steps when triggered by the screening phase.
Citation
Machalaba, C., Prist, P. R., Cybulska, L. C., Dar, O. A., Goll, U. S., Luiz, T. G., Pereira, M. S., Wright, S. P., & Viliani, F. (2026). "24: One Health in impact assessment to tackle emerging infectious diseases and other threats". In Handbook of Health Impact Assessment. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Retrieved Aug 12, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035328611.00035
TNC Authors
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Catherine Machalaba
Planetary Health Scientist. Global Science
The Nature Conservancy
Email: c.machalaba@tnc.org