One Health

One Health focuses on health issues that take place on the interface of human, animal and environmental health. These are complex challenges that require multidisciplinary teams and interdisciplinary research techniques to get solved. For instance, the way we treat animals, and get into (close) contact with animals, has a profound impact on the emergence of novel (infectious) diseases – potentially even leading to pandemics. Several typical developments/phenomena under investigation through a One Health lens and approach include:

· Population growth and mobility

· Speed and ease of travel

· Agricultural Changes

· Global climate change

· War and social disruption

· Aging

· Antibiotic/drugs (mis-)use

In the One Health challenge, interdisciplinary teams of students will work with the lecturers from the department of Medical Microbiology (UMC Utrecht). For the One Health challenge, the topic selected from the above list is (mis)use of antibiotics resulting in an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The aim is to consider this future “wicked” health problem from a One Health perspective. In doing so, participants will have the opportunity to choose their own direction, with greater or lesser emphasis on social, economic or policy aspects.