Companion animals are an important part of many remote communities in Northern Australia and play an important role in the health of people, other animals and their shared environments. However, preparedness for companion-animal zoonoses (diseases that can spread between companion animals and people) is not always well integrated into Australia’s formal biosecurity and disease management systems. This is particularly important for remote communities, where early recognition of unusual disease events, access to veterinary services and laboratory testing, communication, and activation of biosecurity pathways may depend on a small number of community-based stakeholders working across different areas and sectors.
The workshop will use hypothetical zoonotic disease scenarios to explore what happens from the moment an unusual disease event is detected through to the measures taken to reduce the risks of the disease to people, other animals and the environment. The workshop will explore how existing disease management systems operate in real life—whether formal systems are understood, accessible, and achievable in remote settings, and where barriers or gaps may exist between community, veterinary, public health, environmental health, and government systems.
Bringing together One Health stakeholders provides an opportunity to examine these challenges from the viewpoint of those closest to the communities and environments where these disease events may occur. The workshop will help develop practical insights into roles and responsibilities, communication and response pathways, access to services, coordination between health sectors, and response measures that are achievable in remote settings. Importantly, it will provide a forum for local stakeholders to identify where existing systems work well, where assumptions about these systems differ between health sectors, and what could strengthen preparedness for future disease events.
This workshop forms part of a larger assessment of stakeholder perspectives on companion-animal zoonotic disease preparedness in remote Northern Australia and may help identify priorities for future exercises, capability building, and more connected One Health responses. Workshop discussions may also inform the co-development of a proposed field-based full-scale simulation exercise focused on strengthening One Health preparedness in remote Northern Australia.
Note to participants: Subject to ethical approval (pending), this workshop may contribute to a study exploring how stakeholders understand and would respond to companion animal zoonotic disease scenarios in remote Northern Australia. Participation in the workshop is voluntary, and a Participant Information Sheet and Informed Consent Form will be provided to people who register for the workshop.