Table 5.

Processes and activities proposed to move the National Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) agenda forward in Australia, using an ambitious Planetary Health approach

EID
Process	Activities/steps
Develop a National EID strategy*	Follow-up meeting jointly led by the Departments of Health and Agriculture and Water Resources, involving academia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).  Political advocacy to improve awareness, create a sense of urgency and ensure cross-ministerial support.  Establish a national EID expert committee, including leaders from recently established Centres of Research Excellence in EIDs, Communicable Disease Network, Australia, OzFoodNet (www.ozfoodnet.gov.au) and relevant discipline expertise from outside of medicine.  Convene an expert panel to draft a Road Map for a national response to the threat of Emerging Infectious Diseases (including human, animal and plant diseases of major consequence)—coordinated nationally and led by the Departments of Health and Agriculture and Water Resources.  Develop a National Strategy* that links closely with the ‘Responding to the threat of antimicrobial resistance’ strategy 2015–2019.  Develop and monitor national EID surveillance, preparedness and response plans.  Develop frameworks for the optimal and ethical application of new technologies, such as social network surveillance and advanced pathogen genomics.
Provide leadership within the Asia Pacific region and link with international efforts	Strengthen linkages with and support of regional WHO offices (Western Pacific and Southeast Asia), especially the ‘Health Security and Emergencies’ and ‘communicable diseases’ sections and other regional mechanisms and forums, including the South Pacific Commission, the East Asia Summit and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, as well as global initiatives such as Global Health Security Agenda and the Development Banks.  Scope country-level implementation of IHR-2005.  Encourage adequate funding of DFAT’s Regional Health Security strategy.  Link with One/Eco/Planetary health communities in other countries, encourage a ‘united front’ and support international efforts

*This was recently completed,⁵¹ but many of the core elements remain to be executed.