Small islands as system and scale to examine the One Health concept

Small oceanic islands are among the last landmasses to be colonized by humans. Their fragile habitats and ecosystems, unprepared for anthropogenic pressures such as land cover changes and invasion by exotic species, have experienced catastrophic declines while growing human populations increasingly relied on imported environmental goods. This paper proposes a concept of One Health from a small island perspective. We synthesize results from a variety of islands to illustrate the socioecological dynamics that link nature and human health in an island context, while anchoring our analysis in Mauritius island. Shared dynamics among islands affecting ecosystems and human health show socioecological patterns that include the historical and current political ecology. By considering the island as a microcosm exhibiting similar dynamics taking place at the planetary level, globally relevant insights beyond strict environment-health interventions are evidenced, which place equity at the centre of this nexus. The perspectives that are provided also serve to explore and implement One Health approaches using the well-defined but underused unique characteristics and biota of islands.