Animal Welfare in One Health: An Indonesian-Australian Education Collaboration
An innovative collaboration between Indonesian and Australian universities and not-for-profit organisations will work to improve animal welfare and associated One Health outcomes in Indonesia.
Titled Animal Welfare in One Health: An Indonesian-Australian Education Collaboration, the project recognises that animal and human health and welfare, and environmental health are critically interconnected. Good animal welfare is important, firstly for the animals themselves as they are sentient creatures, but also for promoting animal health and preventing zoonotic disease transmission, protecting human health, improving food security, and maintaining an international reputation that fosters respect and trade.
This $25,000 project funded by the Australia-Indonesia Institute was awarded to Deakin University, together with partners Murdoch University, Sintesia Animalia Indonesia and Animals Australia. It will 
support the delivery of targeted, outcomes-focused veterinary education in Indonesia, using a decolonised approach that centres local needs, knowledge and leadership. The program will be designed to support both veterinary students and graduates, with content that includes Indonesian animal welfare law and policy, the ethical treatment of animals, and the role of animal welfare in preventing disease and supporting sustainable trade and development.
A key component of the project will be a workshop hosted in Lombok, which will provide hands-on training and professional development for participants, focusing on the practical delivery of veterinary care and the importance of animal welfare in the broader One Health context.
‘Limited veterinary education and funding remain significant barriers to improving animal welfare in Indonesia’, said Drh Sasa Vernandes, Chief Veterinary Officer at Sintesia Animalia Indonesia. ‘This project aims to strengthen local veterinary knowledge and capacity while fostering long-term collaboration between Australian and Indonesian partners’.
In addition to improving animal, human, and environmental health outcomes, the project is expected to build lasting relationships among participants and institutions, laying the groundwork for ongoing regional cooperation in animal welfare and One Health education.
For more information, please contact:
Dr Jane Kotzmann
Associate Professor
School of Law, Deakin University
+61 3 924 43906
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