Making One Health Experts: The Formation, Reinforcement, and Transformation of Epistemic Communities

This paper explains how an international One Health epistemic community was gradually assembled and shaped through the interventions of international agencies. In response to H5N1 avian flu outbreaks, the international community has gradually developed a “One World, One Health” approach, which was endorsed by multiple international agencies. These international agencies include the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and other agencies.  For the purpose of deliberating and defining One Health strategies, the WHO, FAO and OIE mobilized experts from their reference laboratories and collaborating centers. International agencies consciously affected the international expert networks, and previous affiliation with policy organizations hence becoming crucial bases for expert power and influence. This paper argues that the emergence of the One Health community has been intentionally constructed by international agencies, instead of simply growing out of shared understandings and goals. The study therefore challenges and extends Haas (1990, 1992)’s theory of epistemic community by revealing how an epistemic community co-evolved with global policy formation. In addition, I illustrate that although international agencies have attempted to expand the networks, experts affiliated with their laboratory networks are still crucial participants to define and fulfill One Health.