"More than 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases in the past decade have resulted from animal-human contact and of these, 70 percent are due to contact between humans and wildlife. Research and education in the behavioural (social) sciences are as important as the basic and health sciences in understanding how to contain and prevent outbreaks and antibiotic resistant infections."

SEIB Director, Professor Tania Sorrell said anticipating and controlling epidemics and emerging infectious diseases was a multidisciplinary problem that crossed both geographic and social boundaries.

"Australia's position as one of the few developed nations in the Asia-Pacific region provides us with a unique opportunity to lead in interdisciplinary research and capacity building and to collaborate with our neighbours in prevention, containment and eradication of emerging infectious diseases at home and abroad," she said.

"The recent visit to Indonesia by a large delegation from the University and the presence at this conference of senior colleagues from the Indonesian Ministry of Health and University of Indonesia, is testament to this spirit of collaboration and partnership."

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