One Health: A Call to Action for a Unified Approach Amid Growing Global Challenges
As we navigate an increasingly interconnected world, the need for a unified health approach becomes more pressing. This year, on World One Health Day, nine international organizations, including the EU Cross-agency One Health Task Force and the European and Central Asia Quadripartite, issued a compelling joint statement advocating for immediate action to advance the One Health approach across Europe and beyond. This initiative emphasizes the imperative to address the multifaceted risks associated with the intersections of human, animal, plant, and environmental health.
Understanding One Health
The One Health concept articulates that human health, animal health, and environmental health are deeply intertwined. Zoonotic diseases—diseases that spill over from animals to humans—serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in this interconnectedness. As our ecosystems face escalating pressures from climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and transforming land use practices, the risks posed to health on all levels have intensified.
Recent decades have witnessed unprecedented climatic events, with summer 2025 allegedly being the warmest on record. By early September of that year, nearly one million hectares had been lost to wildfires in the European Union, a figure that starkly contrasts with the long-term annual average of 280,000 hectares. Such ecological disruptions not only threaten biodiversity but also escalate the spread of vector-borne diseases such as West Nile virus and dengue, impacting human health and straining healthcare systems.
The Key Recommendations
In light of these alarming trends, the joint statement from the One Health Task Force and the Quadripartite laid out four critical recommendations aimed at bolstering the One Health approach:
Enhance Global and Regional Coordination: There is a pressing need to align strategies between the EU Cross-agency One Health Framework and the Quadripartite One Health Joint Action Plan. Only through cooperative governance can we effectively address transboundary health challenges.
Invest in Stronger One Health Governance: Effective governance is essential for fostering inter-sectoral collaboration. This requires increased investment to enhance institutional capacity, promote inclusive decision-making, and develop collaborative leadership models that can adeptly manage the complexities of One Health.
Make Intersectoral Collaboration the Norm: The One Health approach must be embedded into national and subnational governance frameworks. This calls for legislation, sustained financing, and policies that facilitate joint planning, transparent communication, data sharing, and cross-sectoral monitoring.
- Leverage Evidence for Strategic Investment: Data-driven approaches are vital for reinforcing support for One Health measures. By emphasizing the economic and social value of prevention and preparedness, policymakers can ensure that their choices derive from sound scientific evidence while demonstrating the benefits of coordinated efforts.
The Importance of Collaboration
To effectively implement these recommendations, all stakeholders, including governments, civil society, the private sector, and academia, must intensify their commitment. The nature of health risks today transcends borders, making unilateral action inadequate. Collective responsibility is crucial; as highlighted in the statement, “No sector or country can act alone: we must act together, now."
This call for collaborative action serves as an urgent reminder of our interconnected vulnerabilities. As we continue to face global health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the lessons learned underscore the necessity for preemptive measures, open communication, and the sharing of data across sectors.
The Role of Evidence-Based Policy Making
The emphasis on leveraging evidence cannot be overstated. Policymakers must ground their decisions in scientific research, as this foundational step ensures the holistic incorporation of the values intrinsic to the One Health approach. A growing body of literature indicates the economic value of investing in preventive strategies, and these analyses should inform strategic investments to mitigate future risks.
Conclusion: A Shared Responsibility
As we commemorate World One Health Day, we are reminded of the profound interconnectedness of our health systems and the environments in which we live. The challenges we face—climate change, biodiversity loss, and the proliferation of zoonotic diseases—underscore the urgency of a coordinated approach.
The joint statement’s clear recommendations serve as a roadmap for stakeholders committed to advancing One Health. By fostering a culture of collaboration and investing in a comprehensive One Health strategy, we can better protect the health of people, animals, and the planet.
In this crucial endeavor, every partner has a unique role to play. Only through an integrated, cooperative approach can we hope to mitigate risks, respond to crises, and build a healthier world for generations to come. As the statement poignantly concludes, “We invite all partners to join us in this essential endeavor for the health of people, animals, and the planet.” The time for action is now, and the pathway forward lies in unity and concerted effort.
