Author: George Lueddeke     In: PEAH – Policies for Equitable Access to Health

See Proposition #7 from Lueddeke’s Ten Propositions for Global Sustainability,

‘What if’ the unifying One Health and Well-Being Concept became the cornerstone of our education systems and societal institutions, thereby helping to create a ‘more just, sustainable and peaceful world’ (UN SDGs)? ……… “The criticality  of making a paradigm shift from human-centric to eco-centric thinking and behaviours is what the Covid-19 wake-up call is all about and ‘represents a precious opportunity to learn…a moment that affords an opportunity to understand what happened, why it happened and what we should do next’(4). Proposition #7 recommends that consideration be given for the One Health & Well-Being concept to become the cornerstone of our education systems and societal institutions.

Authors: Rishika Pardikar and Bhasker Tripathi   In:  Fit

"As the destruction of habitat and biodiversity loss expose humans to more zoonotic diseases that spread from animals to humans, a key programme to study the spread of these diseases and suggest ways to control them has been in the works in India since 2018. Following a global framework, the programme could help governments minimise the impact of an outbreak and prevent an outbreak from turning into an epidemic, experts told IndiaSpend."

Author: Nancy Ogonje     In: The Star

" A number of studies have linked reduced diversity among mammal species and an overall decrease in biodiversity to a rise in animal-borne diseases to humans. "

Author:  John Vidal  In: The Guardian

"..... a number of researchers today think that it is actually humanity’s destruction of biodiversity that creates the conditions for new viruses and diseases such as Covid-19, the viral disease that emerged in China in December 2019, to arise – with profound health and economic impacts in rich and poor countries alike. In fact, a new discipline, planetary health, is emerging that focuses on the increasingly visible connections between the wellbeing of humans, other living things and entire ecosystems. "

(Though not exactly the same, on this point One Health and Planetary Health move in lockstep working in parallel toward a common goal.)

Author:  Ilaria Capua  In: LifeGate

Last year, Capua – whose phone has been ringing without interruption for days – wrote the book Circular Health: Empowering the One Health Revolution (Salute circolare. Una rivoluzione necessaria in the original Italian), published in Italy by Egea with an English translation upcoming in summer 2020. It focuses on the need to “rethink pathways, and suggest new and revolutionary ones to achieve a better balance with animals, plants as well as the environment that welcomes us every day”. These themes are as relevant as ever given that the SARS-CoV-2 virus behind the Covid-19 disease seems to have emerged from an “interspecies leap” caused by our exploitative and disrespectful manipulation of wild fauna and flora. Here’s what Capua told us about the importance of ecology and sustainability in facing a crisis such as the one we’re currently in.

Author Unknown  In: German.China.CN Blog

"On Sina Weibo, a microblogging platform, millions of people supported the ban with confidence that it will benefit both wildlife and human society. 'This is the first time that China's top legislature has imposed a nationwide ban that eliminates the decades-old habit of eating wild animals,' said Li Binbin, an assistant professor at Duke Kunshan University's environmental research center in Jiangsu Province. She said the decision shows the significant link between animal welfare and public health and eco-security. 'It is a crucial step in regulating the Chinese wildlife market and will constructively change the country's international image.' "

Author: Adrian J Ivakhiv , In: Immanence: ecoculture, geophilosophy, mediapolitics

“The appearance of Coronavirus means that, suddenly, there is a massive taking account of a new visitor…… Like Edward Gorey’s “doubtful guest,” viruses arrive unbidden, surprisingly and mysteriously, stoking fear and taking victims without ever fully revealing their intents. They are “doubtful” not only because we doubt their guesthood. It is also doubtful that they are the guest and we are the host: the tables could easily be reversed to reveal us as the guests, setting up our tables amidst them and feigning surprise when they show up to take a seat. …. Their impact on us depends on our response to their presence. As some have advocated for years, the best response is something like the One Health Initiative, “a worldwide program, involving more than 600 scientists and other professionals, that advances the idea that human, animal and ecological health are inextricably linked and need to be studied and managed holistically.”  There is a global ecology of relations that implicate us, participants in global humanity. And it is calling us to take notice.”

Author: Rodríguez AB, In: ENDI, Elvuedvodia.com, Puerto Rico

In 2002 there was SARS and in 2012 MERS. Both cause severe respiratory syndromes in humans and are caused by different coronaviruses that originate from bats, but that used carrier species to affect people. In the case of SARS it was the civet cat and in MERS the camels. Hence the importance of understanding the behavior of these viruses and how animals, humans and the environment are related. A key concept known as One Health interrelates these three elements and is currently used to understand COVID-19.  

In: Diario San Rafael

“To avoid collapse, the WHO proposes the One health concept, linking environmental with animal and human health. If the world gets sick, humans, who are part of it, too….. Achieving this interdisciplinarity is one of the greatest challenges of the “anthropocene” era, marked by the accelerated destruction of the planet due to the actions of man.”

(Open in Chrome for translation)

Author: Scott Nolen  In:  JAVMA News

Dr. Saif said veterinarians should be involved in all aspects of zoonotic infections, in concert with a one-health approach. “Veterinarians need to be part of identifying the animal reservoirs and the intermediate hosts for these diseases,” she said. “This may focus on wildlife medicine, such as understanding the habitats and diversity of bat species as reservoirs for coronaviruses and multiple other viruses.”………………… “Also, more veterinarians should be working with other researchers to develop the most appropriate animal models for these diseases since we cannot test antivirals or vaccines without an animal model that reproduces the human disease and responses. “

Author: Jane Qui  In:  Scientific American

“ 'Once potential pathogens are mapped out, scientists and public health officials can regularly check for possible infections by analyzing blood and swab samples from livestock, wild animals that are farmed and traded, and high-risk human populations, such as farmers, miners, villagers who live near bats, and people who hunt or handle wildlife,' Gray says. 'This approach, known as “One Health,”, aims to integrate the management of wildlife health, livestock health, and human health. Only then can we catch an outbreak before it turns into an epidemic,” he says, adding that the approach could potentially save the hundreds of billions of dollars such an epidemic can cost.”

In: Mirage News

“What was extremely interesting from the start, but isn’t discussed so much now, is why we humans can get this virus at all. It’s a matter of human expansion. We’ve become too numerous, and take up too much space. We humans exploit animals and nature. So we get not only meat and milk, but also strange viruses. This ought to be given more attention,” Olsen says.

Scientists call this interdisciplinary way of looking at health “One Health”. Since many infectious agents circulate between animals and humans in nature, doctors, veterinarians and ecologists are collaborating in their quest to understand how various pathogens spread and how new infections arise.  View the full interview.

Author: Rodríguez AB, In: ENDI, Elvuedvodia.com,Puerto Rico

“….if a habitat that has animals is destroyed, what will happen to these animals and their diseases? These can pass to animals that have never been exposed to these bacteria or viruses, or sometimes to people in that nearby habitat. How can we solve these problems? Looking at these interactions through the concept of One Health (“One Health”). This concept unites the human medical, veterinary and environmental aspects. Through the scientific collaboration of the three branches, it is the only way in which we can understand how these diseases behave and how to face them. “

(Open in Chrome for translation)

Authors:  Machalaba C and Karesh WB    In: Foreign Affairs

"Yet around the world, governments and international organizations have treated the new coronavirus outbreak as a public health problem rather than a larger societal one whose causes and consequences will affect everything from finance and insurance to tourism and agriculture. Nearly every other type of disaster calls upon multiple sectors for response and prevention."

Author: Kuchipudi SV   In:  US News and World Report

As the current outbreak has shown, an infectious disease that starts in one part of the world can spread globally in virtually no time whatsoever. There is an urgent need for constructive conservation strategies to prevent deforestation and reduce animal-human interactions. And a comprehensive global surveillance system to monitor the emergence of these diseases – now missing – would be an indispensable tool in helping us fight these deadly and terrifying epidemics.

Authors:  Andrew Jack and Darren Dodd, In: Financial Times

“…..the biggest question is whether the world will give greater priority to investing in the prevention of future pandemics. That requires more focus on links between health and the environment including “one health” measures to limit the spread of animal infection to humans. Examples include tougher controls on their intensifying interactions through climate change, deforestation and “wet markets” where live animals are sold for slaughter.”

Author: Flavie Vial and Paul Duff, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Gov.UK Blog

“The emergence of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance in wildlife must be viewed through a multi-disciplinary lens that captures issues and threats not only in people and domesticated animals but also the wider environment. One Health is the only approach to mitigating health risks in today’s world.”

Author: Jeff Wichtel, Dean, Ontario Veterinary College

There’s nothing like a global epidemic to remind us just how interconnected we all are on Earth. For a long time, we behaved otherwise: medical doctors looked after people, veterinarians treated animals and ecologists attended to the environment. That fragmented approach to health and disease is no longer good enough.

By George Lueddeke in PEAH, Policies for Equitable Access to Health, March 2020

Proposition #7 is pivotal for all others ...

What If?... THE UNIFYING ONE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING CONCEPT became the cornerstone of our education systems and societal institutions, thereby helping to create a “more just, sustainable and peaceful world” (UN-2030 Global Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs)?”

Author: Kurt Shrader, US Congressional Representative from Oregon  In : Statesman Journal (part of USA Today)

“Diseases like Ebola, SARS and the Coronavirus are all examples of pandemics that began in animals before spreading to humans. This is why I have partnered with my fellow veterinarian Ted Yoho, R- Florida, to develop and advocate for the implementation of a framework called One Health. One Health framework prioritizes coordinated research between federal agencies like the CDC and USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services to prevent, prepare for and respond to zoonotic disease outbreaks in the U.S. and internationally. We introduced the bipartisan Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act to coordinate and fund a One Health plan so we can prevent outbreaks and rapidly respond to them.

KfW Online Newsroom. German. Open in Chrome for translation.

Two thirds of all new infectious diseases worldwide, like the current coronavirus "Covid-19", come from animals. There is a growing awareness among experts that a much broader approach is needed to efficiently and effectively combat these diseases transmitted from animals to humans, which is summarized under the term "One Health".

Author: Dr. Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain, In: New Straits Times, Malaysia

"....all stakeholders, including clinicians, scientists, veterinarians and ecologists, must work together with government ministries to come up with practical solutions to combat new and emerging diseases. "

Author: Muringatheri M.  In:  The Hindu

Author:  Tan M, In: Philippine Daily Inquirer

In times like these we need to think of One Health, which considers the interactions of the health of humans, of the environment, and of nonhuman animals. We started the decade with all kinds of challenges to this notion of One Health. Think of Taal, the eruption of which was a gigantic paroxysmal “cough” that wreaked havoc on humans and nonhuman animals. Humans form the most complicated part of One Health—nearly 8 billion of us now, many living in very densely populated megacities.

Author: Seifman R.  Board Member, United Nations Association-National Capital Area

China’s troubles with the on-going coronavirus outbreak originate with its animal health policies and programs: They need to change and here is how.

What to do? 

Simply put, pursue a One Health approach, one which leads to integrated human-animal-environmental health policies and actions. To do this China, and other countries to be sure, will need to spend much more on veterinarians, wildlife professionals, food safety officers, and animal virus laboratory professionals. 

Most importantly, they need to actively make aware and engage civil society and communities in identifying possible animal diseases, providing incentives for reporting, not fear in so doing. More reference veterinarians and animal health para-professionals, as well as microbiologists and laboratory technicians,  and animal and human reference laboratories, are needed to analyze a suspected virus, to prevent and contain, rather than resorting to a costly response.

Author: Greg Gray  In: The Hill

"This emerging collaborative field, often called “one health,” integrates knowledge from several different spheres, including human health, animal health, environmental health and agricultural businesses. The approach is gaining traction among academics, government officials and international policymakers as the best way to approach complex problems such as emerging zoonotic diseases. But we need to do more to integrate this approach into how we prepare for viruses like the newly emerged coronavirus."

Author: Theresa Vargas, In: The Washington Post

Suzan Murray, director of the Smithsonian’s Global Health Program and former chief veterinarian of the zoo, says it was once normal for people to talk about the environment and human health separately. Now, she says, there is a “holistic approach.” There is recognition that human health is tied to the health of the environment and the wildlife in it.

Authors:  Kock RA, Karesh WB, et. al.   In: The Lancet, Planetary Health

“There is an increasing focus on the human-animal environment disease interface, as encompassed in the One Health concept…… .......have we learned lessons? Yes and no. These events are of global public health and economic importance and need collective societal response. But governments and civil society are not heeding these warnings, as the 2019-nCoV attests. Concerns have been repeatedly raised and voiced since the idea of One Health was first expressed in around 2000. What we need to learn and communicate is that the zoonotic or agricultural bridging of novel pathogens from domestic and captive wildlife needs urgent attention, along with attention to the human appetite for meat.”

Author: Richard Seifman

.... "When we speak of “health” we usually mean “human health”. But over 70% of infectious diseases affecting “humans” are zoonotic, from animals to humans. For optimal health outcomes, we need to take into consideration human, animal, plant, and environmental health. That integrated strategy is at the heart of the “One Health” approach.".....

The Star, Ontario, Canada

“One Health might sound like a hippie maxim, something you would see on a T-shirt in Kensington Market. But it is a widely accepted principle, one adopted by the World Health Organization, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and other health authorities worldwide.

The current coronavirus outbreak is a sobering reminder that there is no firewall between animal and human health. Scientists believe the virus likely originated in bats and jumped to people at a wildlife market in Wuhan, China. More than 60 per cent of emerging infectious diseases come from animals, and more than 70 per cent of those from wildlife, research shows. “

“We’re just one inhabitant of the planet, although we’re overtaking it, absolutely. And we need the health of the planet,” says Ray, of the Wildlife Conservation Society Canada.  “We have to be thinking about health in a much more holistic way than we have been.”

Authors:

Arne Ruckert , Part-Time Professor, Social Determinants of Health, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Hélène Carabin, Canada Research Chair and Full Professor, Epidemiology and One Health, Université de Montréal

Ronald Labonte, Professor and Distinguished Research Chair, Globalization and Health Equity, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

International response to this coronavirus also demonstrates considerable improvement, with rapid information flow and reporting of cases by Chinese authorities. But governance challenges remain, along with a growing awareness of the importance of what’s known as a One Health approach to pandemic outbreaks.

A One Health strategy recognizes that the health of humans is intricately linked to that of animals and their environments. In practice, it draws upon experts from human, animal and environmental health sciences, along with those in the humanities and social sciences, to build a response infrastructure that emphasizes information-sharing and co-ordination of actions across multiple sectors.

Author: Dirk U. Pfeiffer In: South China Morning Post

"A ‘one health’ approach, involving not just scientists but experts from disciplines such as economics and anthropology, could help"

Aurthor: Brian Dunleavy  In: Contagion Live, Infectious Diseases Today

Those who require a reminder of the importance of the One Health approach need look no further than the ongoing 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak (2019 n-CoV).
One Health, which is designed to foster and streamline communication between infectious disease professionals engaged in human as well as veterinary health, is essentially where the rubber meets road when an outbreak occurs. Although we still have a lot to learn about the origins of 2019 n-CoV, it’s safe to assume that One Health protocols and principles have played, and will likely continue to play, a key role in getting the ongoing crisis under control

Author: Connor McCoy BioechNow Blog post

Biotechnology is leading to breakthroughs for human, animal and environmental health, but is there a way we can address these outbreaks before they spread from animal to human?         Yes, and the concept is called One Health.

So, what is One Health? It is a public health approach that ensures all areas of government are coordinated and working together to foster and advance innovation that is critical in protecting against diseases and malnutrition. The ability to prevent, prepare for, and respond to outbreaks of infectious diseases such as coronavirus, Ebola, Zika, avian influenza (HPAI) and MERS depends on an improved understanding of the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health.

Author: Gregory C. Gray  In:  US News and World Report

We know that most human emerging disease viruses first circulate in animals, yet we don’t often see them coming.

.................. "The continuous viral reproduction can sometimes lead to mutations or the mixing of viruses and a never-before-seen virus may emerge. Hence, new collaborative partnerships must be forged between agricultural businesses and human, animal and environmental health groups so that emerging viruses can be better be detected and mitigation strategies developed before a novel virus crosses over to infect man. Often, such an interdisciplinary collaboration is termed the "One Health Approach." Many institutions are calling for One Health interdisciplinary collaborations as the best approach to complex problems such as emerging viral threats".................

Author:  Olga Jonas, Senior Fellow and Economic Adviser, Harvard Global Health Institute

Most infectious diseases with epidemic and pandemic potentials are of animal origin; control at the source thus requires detection in animals, before the threat extends to human populations. Core veterinary and human public-health systems that use One Health approaches are the first line of defense against contagion and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Adequate financing for core veterinary and human public-health systems is important for their performance. Despite the remarkably low costs of core public-health systems, financing has been inadequate, and spending has not even been officially monitored.

"Zooeiya" is the term that describes the positive benefits to the health of people as a result of interacting with animals, and the primary focus of zooeyia studies is the ways that pets improve the health of their people.

'While seeing a CRE outbreak in veterinary medicine did not come as a surprise, especially at a large veterinary hospital, this veterinary hospital was not prepared for it, and they don't think the profession is prepared for it. They are getting the word out about the outbreak, and having discussions with public health agencies, human medical colleagues, and experts in environmental monitoring, will result in some guidance for veterinarians.   "It's a really good One Health opportunity........It's a great opportunity to bring everyone together."