Why One Health?
Why One Health?
- Worldwide, nearly 75 percent of all emerging human infectious diseases in the past three decades originated in animals.
- Environmental health may affect human and animal health through contamination, pollution and poor conditions that may lead to new infectious agents.
- The world population is projected to grow from 7 billion in 2011 to 9 billion by 2050.
- To provide adequate healthcare, food and water for the growing global population, the health professions, and their related disciplines and institutions, must work together.
- The human-animal bond beneficially impacts the health of both people and animals.
Definition of One Health
One Health is the collaborative effort of multiple health science professions, together with their related disciplines and institutions – working locally, nationally, and globally – to attain optimal health for people, domestic animals, wildlife, plants, and our environment.
Scope of One Health
- Convergence of human, animal, and plant health and the health of the environment
- Human-animal bond
- Professional education and training
- Research, both basic and translational
- Ensuring a safe food and water supply that is high quality, available and affordable
- Agricultural production and land use
- Natural resources and conservation
- Disease surveillance, prevention and response, both infectious and chronic diseases
- Commonality of diseases among people and animals, such as cancer, obesity, and diabetes
- Clinical medicine demand for interrelationship between the health professions
- Environmental agent detection and response
- Disaster preparedness and response
- Public policy and regulation
- Global trade and commerce
- Communications and outreach
Potential Outcomes from the One Health Approach
- More interdisciplinary programs in education, training, research, and established policy
- More information sharing related to disease detection and diagnosis as well as education and research
- More prevention of diseases, both infectious and chronic diseases
- New therapies and approaches to treatment for unmet needs
