The recent arrival of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus in Australia has reinforced the importance of New Zealand preparing for more than just an agricultural threat, with experts warning the virus demonstrates how closely human health, animal health and the environment are interconnected.
Speaking with Radio Waatea’s Matthew Tukaki, Dr Hammed Fatoyinbo, an applied mathematics and statistics lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, said H5N1 is a textbook example of the One Health approach, which recognises that the wellbeing of people, animals and ecosystems cannot be separated.
While much of the public discussion around bird flu has focused on the poultry industry and food production, Dr Fatoyinbo says the implications are much broader.
Wild birds can carry avian influenza across international borders during migration, creating pathways for the virus to spread into domestic poultry, wildlife populations and, in rare circumstances, humans. The health of ecosystems, biodiversity, farming and public health are therefore closely linked.
The emergence of H5N1 in Australia has heightened attention on New Zealand’s biosecurity systems. Although New Zealand remains free of the highly pathogenic strain, experts say vigilance is essential given the country’s internationally significant seabird populations, native wildlife and export-dependent agricultural sector.
Dr Fatoyinbo believes the One Health model aligns closely with te ao Māori, where people, animals, plants and the environment are understood to be connected through whakapapa.
Rather than treating environmental health, conservation and public health as separate issues, mātauranga Māori recognises that harm to one part of the natural world ultimately affects the wellbeing of all.
He says incorporating indigenous knowledge alongside modern science could strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity and pandemic preparedness by bringing together generations of environmental observation with contemporary disease surveillance and epidemiology.
For Māori, concepts such as kaitiakitanga reinforce the responsibility to care for ecosystems, recognising that healthy whenua, healthy wai and healthy wildlife contribute directly to healthy communities.
Dr Fatoyinbo warns that focusing solely on protecting commercial poultry would overlook the wider ecological consequences an outbreak could have.
Native birds, threatened species and fragile ecosystems may all face risks if surveillance and response strategies fail to consider biodiversity alongside agriculture.
A truly effective response, he says, requires collaboration across multiple sectors.
Government agencies responsible for health, agriculture, conservation and biosecurity need to work alongside scientists, iwi, hapū, conservation organisations, farmers and local communities to detect threats early and respond quickly.
This includes monitoring wildlife populations, strengthening border biosecurity, investing in disease surveillance and ensuring communities understand their role in reporting unusual bird deaths or signs of disease.
The One Health approach has gained increasing international recognition following both the COVID-19 pandemic and the global spread of avian influenza, highlighting the need for coordinated responses to emerging diseases that cross species and environmental boundaries.
For New Zealand, where Māori knowledge has long recognised the interconnectedness of all living things, Dr Fatoyinbo believes combining mātauranga Māori with scientific research offers an opportunity to build a more resilient biosecurity system.
As H5N1 continues to spread internationally, the message is clear: protecting public health begins with protecting the health of the environment, wildlife and the ecosystems that sustain us all.
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