🌐 What is One Health?

• Definition (by OHHLEP, 2021):An integrated, unifying approach that balances and optimizes the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.
• It recognizes how tightly linked humans, domestic & wild animals, plants, and the environment are.
• It mobilizes many sectors and communities to secure food, water, energy, air, tackle climate change, and support sustainable development.

🦠 Why now?

• The COVID-19 pandemic showed how human health is inseparable from animals and ecosystems.
• Spillover events (viruses jumping species) highlight the need for this unified approach.
• Rising threats like zoonoses, AMR (antimicrobial resistance), and climate change make One Health urgent.

🏛 Who’s involved?

• In May 2021, four major global organizations formed the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP):
  • FAO (Food & Agriculture Org) 🍚
  • OIE/WOAH (World Organization for Animal Health) 🐄
  • UNEP (UN Environment Programme) 🌱
  • WHO (World Health Organization) 🧑‍⚕️

🧩 Key Principles of One Health

Think of these as the “DNA” of One Health 🧬:

1. Equity ⚖️ – all sectors and disciplines have equal say.
2. Inclusion & parity 🫂 – engage communities, include marginalized voices.
3. Socioecological equilibrium 🌳🐘👩 – balance human-animal-environment interactions, value biodiversity.
4. Stewardship 🤲 – humans must act responsibly, adopt sustainable practices.
5. Transdisciplinarity 📚 – blend modern + traditional knowledge, many sectors working together.

🔑 The 4 Cs for action

To move from theory ➝ practice:

1. Communication 💬
2. Coordination 🔗
3. Collaboration 🤝
4. Capacity building 🏗

🎯 What can One Health do?

• Goes beyond zoonotic disease.
• Covers prevention, health promotion, detection, preparedness, response, and recovery.
• Can be applied at local, national, regional, and global levels.
• Deals with challenges like:
  • Biodiversity loss 🐝
  • Climate change 🌡
  • Food & water security 💧
  • Clean energy & air 🌬
  • Social inequalities 🏚

⚖️ Barriers & Challenges

• Not just science — also political, legal, ethical, financial, capacity, and societal obstacles.
• Needs strong political commitment, fair resource allocation, and governance.

🌟 Why it matters

• One Health supports sustainable economic development, resilience, and health for all.
• It links to other global visions:
  • Eco-Health 🌿 (ecocentric focus)
  • Planetary Health 🌍 (environmental health at the core).