Hot Topics in Ecohealth Research: A Joint Japanese-Swiss Perspective

Excerpt

Following discussions on the convergence of “One Health” and “Ecohealth” during the 4th Biennial Conference of the International Association for Ecology & Health in October 2012 in Kunming China, a partnership agenda emerged between scientists from Japan and Switzerland. Since 1979, the Human Ecology research group at the University of Tokyo has promoted health research toward sustainable harmonization between populations and the environment (Suzuki 1979). Today, a number of universities in Japan embrace Ecohealth research. Since in the late 1990s, two research units (Human and Animal Health and Ecosystem Health Sciences) at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), an associate institute of the University of Basel, have ushered in a broad agenda encompassing both One Health and Ecohealth research and application (Zinsstag et al. 2011). In parallel, the Swiss Centre for Scientific Research in Cote d’Ivoire (CSRS) has promoted and applied Ecohealth approaches in Africa over the last 20 years (Cissé et al. 2011). Worldwide, Japan and Switzerland have the highest population longevity and face novel challenges to address this complex issue. Because it is a global concern, Japan and Switzerland aim to join forces in their research with African partners, identifying the particular strengths and niche in the global development research efforts. …