Health and environment
One Health
Definition
One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognises that human health, domestic and wild animal health, plant health and the wider environment are interdependent, and mobilises multiple sectors and disciplines to address threats such as zoonotic disease, antimicrobial resistance and food safety.
References
definition and Quadripartite framework
institutional adoption and action tracks
Overview
What it means
Most emerging infectious diseases — including COVID-19 — originate in animals, and their emergence is driven by deforestation, wildlife trade and intensive farming. One Health reframes pandemic prevention, food safety and pollution control as shared problems across human, veterinary and environmental services.
How it is used
The approach is institutionalised through the Quadripartite collaboration of WHO, FAO, UNEP and the World Organisation for Animal Health, which published a joint One Health Plan of Action (2022–2026); governments increasingly adopt national One Health strategies.
Why it matters
One Health connects environmental degradation directly to human health risk, giving conservation and pollution control a central place in global health security and justifying prevention over reaction.