The UKRI GCRF One Health Poultry Hub is an impact-driven research project working to help meet Asia’s growing demand for chicken meat and eggs without risk to local and global public health. IDS is one of 27 partners in nine countries working as part of this interdisciplinary Hub, which is led by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).
Population growth is driving demand for chicken meat and egg production. However, rapid intensification creates conditions for diseases to emerge and spill over to people (‘zoonoses’). These include bacterial food poisoning and strains of avian influenza with epidemic or pandemic potential. Increased antimicrobial resistance due to misuse of antibiotics in poultry farming is also a major global threat. The need for safe, sustainable poultry production is most urgent in South and Southeast Asia.
Taking an interdisciplinary ‘One Health’ approach, the Hub is working in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam to explore how intensification of poultry production increases risk of infectious disease and why certain social, economic, cultural, regulatory contexts promote certain risky processes and behaviours. It is also testing novel interventions for disease control. With strong networks of local, regional and global stakeholders, the evidence generated will be put to immediate use by those who can make a difference. Thus the Hub’s outcomes will have wide regional and global relevance.
With Hub partners, IDS research will investigate socio-cultural, economic and political power relationships that influence individual and organisational behaviours. We are also leading, with Chatham House, on impact work through understanding the policy dynamics and politics of One Health in the regions, and leading on communications work for the project.
The Hub is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). It is one of 12 interdisciplinary hubs launched in 2019, each applying transformative research approaches to address intractable development challenges.
For more information, please visit the Hub website: onehealthpoultry.org
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