Thailand Hosts Global One Health Day 2026 Bridging Public-Private-NGO Cooperation Frameworks to Address ASEAN Health Threats
The Public Health Ministry, in collaboration with SEAOHUN, Chevron, and Zoetis, organizes Global One Health Day 2026 to drive collaboration for “One Health”—connecting knowledge, collaboration, research, and innovation for efficient monitoring and management of emerging diseases across human, animal, and environmental domains, and climate-driven health threats, all while empowering youth toward sustainable development.
Co-hosted by the ministry, SEAOHUN or Southeast Asia One Health University, Chevron Corporation, and Zoetis Company Limited, Global One Health Day 2026 is a regional forum under the “Advancing One Health: Coordination, Engagement, and Innovation” theme. Held to promote One Health knowledge exchange and cooperation, the event took place on 5 November 2026, at Park Silom, Bangkok, attracting a large number of executives and academics from the public, private, and educational sectors from Thailand and many other ASEAN countries.
Dr. Sopon Iamsirithaworn, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health who presided over the opening ceremony, said that in the face of Thailand’s increasingly complex and interconnected challenges from epidemics and natural disasters, the One Health City concept holds key to developing urban environments where people, animals and the environment can coexist in a state of true well-being. Global One Health Day 2026 also reflects Thailand’s role as a regional hub for One Health cooperation. Vital for balancing and enhancing the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems, One Health focuses on preventing problems at the source through health threat surveillance and detection, joint risk assessments, and preparedness and responses to emergencies that could spread across borders.
The One Health and One Health City concept, so far, can deliver tangible outcomes only when all sectors work together, implement efficient mechanisms, and engage stakeholders at all levels to enable the application of knowledge, technology and innovation that best suits local context.
Thailand’s One Health cooperation framework now connects the Disease Control Department, the Livestock Development Department, and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, with the private and academic sectors, driving a multidisciplinary approach and integrated risk management for the wellbeing of Thais across all dimensions.
Dr. Tongkorn Meeyam, DVM, PhD, Executive Director of the Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN), noted that the theme “Advancing One Health: Coordination, Engagement, and Innovation” responds directly to ASEAN’s increasingly complex and interconnected health threats. Climate volatility and natural disasters, she explained, have altered the patterns and spread of both emerging and re-emerging diseases. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) adds another critical challenge, one that demands collaborative management across the public health, veterinary, agricultural, and environmental sectors.
SEAOHUN has played an important role in building capacity and promoting multidisciplinary, multiagency collaboration. Recognizing that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected, SEAOHUN holds that health challenges cannot be addressed in isolation. They require information sharing and collective learning so that research findings can be applied to real-world situations in a timely way.
Sponsored by Chevron, Zoetis, and Park Silom, Global One Health Day 2026 features a range of academic work and research. Highlights include SEAOHUN’s promotion of One Health Education in Thailand through national and regional networks, and Zoetis’ study on AMR. The program also includes an interactive One Health game show that helps young people develop analytical thinking and synthesis skills. In addition, an exhibition titled “One Health Education for All” showcases how SEAOHUN and its partners are strengthening One Health Education at all levels, as well as the projects they have implemented in Thailand.
Established in 2011, SEAOHUN is an academic and research network dedicated to the One Health concept. Currently, more than 100 educational institutions in eight ASEAN countries have joined its network. Its secretariat is based in Chiang Mai’s Mueang district.
Ms. Pornsuree Konanta, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, at Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, Ltd., stated that Chevron, as a member of the Global Health Security Agenda Private Sector Roundtable, is pleased to support this event. Promoting health literacy and building understanding of the One Health concept within Southeast Asia’s education systems, in collaboration with SEAOHUN, are among the company’s core commitments, alongside its longstanding dedication to improving the quality of life in the communities where it operates.
Chevron’s One Health initiatives have primarily focused on building knowledge among primary and secondary school educators. When equipped with well-being skills, young people understand the links between human, animal and environmental health and respond appropriately to risks from endemics, health issues related to animals and climate, as well as emerging diseases. Children and youth, moreover, share what they learn with their families, friends and those in their close circles, spreading One Health knowledge from schools to communities and encouraging broader public participation in health-risk reduction.
Ms. Kulpreeya Buddharudisuk, General Manager for Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos at Zoetis Thailand Inc., said her company, a global leader in animal health products, is proud to be part of Global One Health Day 2026. Zoetis, after all, has long attached importance to and played a role in the advancement of One Health through various initiatives, with the One Health concept integrated into its sustainability strategy, “Driven to Care.” Zoetis has even established the Center for Transboundary and Emerging Diseases (CTED) to monitor infectious diseases that can cross borders and affect both humans and animals, while developing related vaccines and diagnostic innovations. In addition, the company promotes science-driven research and development, maintains rigorous product quality standards, and places the utmost importance on addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) has officially chosen Zoetis as a key vaccine supplier for its rabies vaccine bank program, which pursues the goal of achieving zero human deaths from rabies by 2030. Presently, Zoetis has also strengthened One Health academic collaboration with veterinary faculties and professional veterinary associations across Thailand, including the Thai Veterinary Medical Association and the Veterinary Practitioner Association of Thailand.
Global One Health Day 2026 represents a concrete collaboration among the public, private, and non-governmental sectors to raise public awareness of One Health and encourage people to become part of the One Health movement, promoting a disease-free, safe, and sustainable future.
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