One Health Landscape in Tennessee: Current Status, Challenges, and Priorities.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Public Health
• Veterinary Medicine

Background:

• Tennessee's diverse ecosystems (forests, farmland, urban) support One Health applications.
• Existing initiatives address workforce development, surveillance, and conservation.
• Cross-sector collaboration is key to tackling zoonotic diseases and climate change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review Tennessee's current One Health landscape.
• To identify active initiatives, challenges, and future directions.
• To assess the impact of climate change on health and ecological stability.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing One Health programs and initiatives in Tennessee.
• Analysis of challenges including funding, workforce roles, and data sharing.
• Examination of responses to disease outbreaks and climate change impacts.

Main Results:

• Active programs in workforce development, surveillance, and education are in place.
• Climate change presents increasing threats, met with monitoring and partnerships.
• Barriers include limited funding, undefined roles, and informal data sharing.

Conclusions:

• Tennessee's One Health approach shows success in outbreak response (e.g., avian influenza, rabies).
• Strengthening the strategy requires increased funding, formalized roles, and improved data systems.
• Enhancing biodiversity and climate resilience is crucial for future success.