Home - One Health Behaviors

Human behavior drives epidemics…and can stop them.

Learn how behavioral research helps us prevent, detect, and respond.

How does human behavior drive epidemics?

The evidence is undeniable. Human behavior is a key factor in zoonotic events – when a disease jumps from animals to humans – as well as the subsequent person-to-person transmission of the disease. From Zika to Ebola and now COVID-19, human behavior at the individual, social, structural and policy levels influences the trajectory of an epidemic.

The concept of One Health takes into account that humans, plants, and animals share the environment in a way that can reinforce or undermine the health of each. Just as human behavior drives epidemics – it can end them too.

Behavioral research can help us fight back.

Human behavior is complex. Understanding why people do what they do before and during a pandemic equips governments and public health professionals to protect communities. A clear understanding of behavioral drivers can inform social and behavior change interventions for risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) that help prevent diseases from crossing over from animals and stop outbreaks before they become epidemics. Exploring drivers of behavior requires well-tested research approaches.

Defining Global Health Security and Priority Zoonotic Diseases

Global Health Security - What is It?

Global health security is a concept that reflects whether countries have systems, people, and infrastructure in place to deal with emerging infectious disease threats. This includes preparing for cases and outbreaks of new or existing infectious diseases, rapidly detecting outbreaks, and responding to stop the spread. Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can spread between humans and animals and are of particular concern as we increasingly interact with animals in new ways. As part of the Global Health Security Agenda, participating countries have each selected a set of priority zoonotic disease groups to tackle, and also incorporate new zoonotic diseases as outbreaks occur.

Behavioral Research - A Key Component

Behavioral research is a key component of understanding how to address the priority zoonotic diseases in each setting. In fact, institutionalizing capacities that support the systematic conduct and use of behavioral research to inform the planning and evaluation of risk communication interventions is among the WHO defined benchmark actions^[1] that guide countries in strengthening their capacity to implement multi-level, multi-sector risk communication under the International Health Regulations, and as measured by the WHO’s Joint external evaluation tool^[2]. A revised Joint External Evaluation tool was recently released (third edition).

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2 logos. One for Breakthrough ACTION and the other is Johns Hopkins CCP

This website is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Breakthrough ACTION Cooperative Agreement #AID-OAA-A-17-00017. Breakthrough ACTION is based at Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP). The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of Breakthrough ACTION and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government, or Johns Hopkins University.