Developing a Regional One Health Communications Platform for Pandemic Preparedness

Canadians face growing health threats from infections and climate-related events. Diseases that move between animals and people (such as COVID-19, West Nile Virus, and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus) are appearing alongside extreme weather events like floods and wildfires, that cause harm and can exacerbate the spread of harmful pathogens. Responding quickly requires practitioners in public health, animal health, and environmental agencies to share the information quickly and effectively. However, these groups often work in separate systems, which can slow down action. My project focuses on Fraser Health and Northern Health (British Columbia) and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (Ontario). In these regions, I am working with health practitioners and government staff to co-design regional "One Health" Communications Platform. One Health recognizes that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected. To guide the platform, I am conducting a systematic review of existing research and holding focus groups with health practitioners and government staff across sectors to identify preferred strategies and structures for multi-sectoral communication. This will reveal which issues are prioritized for communication, what information practitioners need, how they currently share it, and how to improve their processes. By focusing on three regions, I will compare contexts to identify both region-specific and shared solutions. Working with a technical partner, I am co-designing a prototype platform, along with governance guidance and an adaptation guide that other regions in Canada can use. By improving how information flows from national intelligence to local action, this project will strengthen coordination and speed up responses to future health emergencies.