Aerial view of a winding, meandering river cutting through a vast, rust-colored tundra landscape during autumn.

One Health

Photo Credit: Peter Mather

What is epidemiology?

Epidemiology is by definition the study of things upon people. This means we look at the things that make people sick and the differences between people who are well and those who are ill.

Epidemiologists collect data in a number of ways (such as surveys, laboratory, wastewater and eDNA research) and the things we learn can be translated into meaningful stories to the public using resources such as reports, dashboards and infographics.

Diagram of the word epidemiology showing the parts 'epi,' 'demio,' and 'logy' with their meanings connected, including 'upon,' 'study,' and 'people'.

Dashboards

The figure illustrates the respiratory viral load signal levels and trends detected through wastewater surveillance.

SARS-CoV-2:

Signal Level: Very low
Trend: Stable (No change)

Influenza:

Flu A: Very low signal level, Decreasing trend
Flu B: Moderate signal level, Increasing trend

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus):

RSV A & B: Moderate signal level, both Decreasing trend

The figure presents the temporal trend of Influenza A (Flu-A) viral load in wastewater from November 2022 to April 2025.

The graph displays both the raw Flu-A viral load (solid line) and its 7-day moving average (dashed line), measured in copies per millilitre (cp/ml). This trend reflects seasonal flu activity, with notable peaks during the winter months.

Illustration of a winter landscape with mountains, a river with fish and ducks, moose, bears, birds, trees, houses, and a person feeding chickens, featuring a small house in the foreground and a town with factories in the background.

One Health Definition

“One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems.

It recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent.”

— World Health Organization

A winter scene at a frozen lake with mountains in the background, featuring animals like moose, bears, and birds. A person is cleaning fishing by the river. There are trees and a small cabin with fish hanging to dry outside.

Webinar Quote

“I grew up traditionally in the bush (Burwash Landing, YT) and have had the privilege of living off the land, so to me, I always thought the idea of taking care of the land because it takes care of you, taking care of and respecting animals, was an understanding that everyone had, and that is not the case. ... We see a very siloed approach in Western science ... but from an Indigenous perspective, we have always looked at the integration of human, animal, and environmental health; it is very much interconnected.”

— OYC CEO and Board Director, Math’ieya Alatini

Next Steps

The One Yukon One Health Roadmap reflects our vision for supporting holistic, community-led health transformations across the Yukon. While One Health can take many forms, this roadmap shows how we at One Yukon plan to move forward, focusing on connection, collaboration, and traditionally grounded knowledge to strengthen health for people, animals, and the environment.