The conference jointly organized by the University of Peradeniya and University of California Davis, USA under the theme "One Health: a new paradigm for problem solving" aims to introduce the international health community to the concept of "One Health", Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya Professor M.D. Lamawansa told a media last week.

Prof Lamawansa said that One Health concept was a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment. The challenges faced by global health and the importance of multi-disciplinary approaches and One Health solutions to these problems will be discussed through around 50 research papers at this conference. All faculties of the university together with the representatives of other local and foreign universities will participate in the conference.

One Health International Conference features a number of notable speakers including, Prof. Jiro Arikawa (University of Hokkaido, Japan), Prof. Patricia Conrad (University of California Davis, USA), Dr. Paul Dargan (King’s College, UK), Prof. Andrew Dawson (University of Sydney, Australia), Prof. Geoff Isbister (University of Newcastle, Australia), Prof. Stig Halvard Jørgensen (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway), Prof. Calvin Lee (University of Hong Kong), Prof. Malik Peiris (University of Hong Kong), Prof. Tudor Silva (University of Peradeniya) and Prof. Michael Wilkes (University of California Davis, USA).

The conference is supported by the University Grants Commission, South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, World Health Organisation and the Milco.(Special Reporter/HC)