The Health We Share

How a One Health approach is helping Alberta tackle antimicrobial resistance

During Life Sciences Week, the focus is often on human health – summoning images of hospitals, labs, and new medical treatments. But Alberta’s Life Sciences sector extends beyond human health to include animal health, food systems, the natural environment, and the role they all play in keeping Alberta’s communities healthy.

One Health is an approach that recognizes how human, animal, and environmental health are all interconnected. Challenges that affect one can have consequences for all three, which means finding solutions requires collaboration from experts across all sectors.

One of the clearest examples of why this approach matters is antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

AMR occurs when bacteria and other microbes become resistant to the medicines used to treat infections. As resistance grows, infections become harder to treat in both people and animals, creating risks for public health, food production, and the economy. Because resistant bacteria can move between humans, livestock, food systems, water, and the environment, addressing AMR requires not just a healthcare solution, but a One Health approach.

Our province is well positioned to lead in this area. Alberta is the only province in Canada with a dedicated One Health Antimicrobial Resistance Framework for Action, bringing together experts from health, agriculture, veterinary medicine, environmental science, and government in a cross-sector approach to better understand and respond to antimicrobial resistance.

Now, that framework is being put into action.

Recognizing the need for a more connected approach to AMR, Alberta Innovates has partnered with Genome Alberta on the Genomics Data Connect: One Health Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative. The initiative is designed to improve how AMR data is coordinated, accessed, and shared across sectors, helping transform existing data into practical tools for decision-making and action in Alberta.

Rather than generating new data, this initiative focuses on bringing together information that already exists but is often separated across organizations and sectors. It connects existing antimicrobial resistance data from human health, agriculture, veterinary, and environmental sources to create a more complete understanding of how resistance develops and spreads across the province. By improving coordination and data sharing, researchers and decision-makers will be better equipped to identify and understand trends, emerging risks, and develop a more effective response to AMR.

While terms like genomics, surveillance, and antimicrobial resistance may sound complex, the goal is straightforward: protecting the health of Alberta’s people, animals, and environment.