One thing covid-19 and SARS have shown us is that the health of animals, humans and their environment is interconnected, so it behooves us to study this relationship in greater detail.
Thanks to a HK$500 million donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club's Charities Trust - its largest ever to the City University of Hong Kong - the institution is building the Jockey Club One Health Tower.
When completed in 2023, the 15-story, 258,000 sq ft tower will serve as an education and research base for veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences to further develop the One Health concept and help prevent and control infectious diseases.
It will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, a 1,600-seat multifunction auditorium and an all-weather indoor track connected to the CityU hillside trail.
Jockey Club chairman Philip Chen Nan-lok said that in the wake of SARS, the club funded the establishment of the Centre for Health Protection, which has been growing in prominence in the news over the past year or so.
"During this Covid-19 pandemic, the club has funded HK$1 billion for immediate relief measures and resilience building for the society," he said.
"With this new building and college, I am sure that together we can make Hong Kong more prepared for future crises and public health concerns."
