Investing in
One Health

T

he COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder of how human, animal and environmental health are intrinsically linked and require a cross-sectoral approach through One Health. We already knew that more than 70% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses transmitted to humans by animals, but we are now realising how certain environmental factors such as global warming or human pressure on ecosystems can foster the emergence of zoonosis. This means that instead of thinking only in terms of specific issues or diseases, we should think of ‘health systems’.

A pandemic is not just another disease. Because of its capacity to spread and the threat it poses to each of us, it affects not only our health systems but also our professional lives and economies, and our social and family lives, as well as diplomacy and international relations. It calls into question our societal choices and challenges the political level. Integrating the One Health concept into policies constitutes an approach that will undoubtedly lead to more effective health policy action. But, for this, we need the commitment of our global leaders to ensure long-term investment in One Health.

The recent declaration of the G20 health ministers in Rome, as well as their Call to Action on “Building One Health Resilience”, expresses a political commitment to this. However, a political commitment needs to be backed up by governance structures if it is to be translated into an action plan. This is the role performed by Tripartite+, the collaboration among the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Organisation for Animal Health, currently being expanded to include the United Nations Environment Programme to better address environmental health.

Built on science

Another concrete expression of what can achieve a strong political commitment and push is the establishment of the One Health High Level Expert Panel, which will deliver the best scientific advice on One Health–related matters, following the initial proposal of the French and German foreign ministers in the framework at the Alliance for Multilateralism and the Paris Peace Forum. This panel already supports the Tripartite+ to develop a One Health Global Action Plan.

The same long-term political commitment and support will be needed for other areas such as research, data sharing and capacity building to implement an ambitious plan of action. In this regard, we must identify critical research and information gaps and support initiatives to address these gaps, including socio-economic studies to assess practices that trigger health risks such as illegal wildlife trade.

We must also strengthen the sharing of information, samples, genomic data and other types of data as well as risk assessment approaches, including the application of foresight and multi-sectoral, joint approaches to better predict, prevent, detect and control new pandemic threats. Initiatives such as the new WHO Global Pandemic and Epidemics Intelligence Hub in Berlin will certainly help us to achieve these goals.

It is also necessary to build transversal and efficient health workforces, including veterinary services. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the long-standing cooperation between OIE and WHO in performing joint external evaluations to assess the capacity of our members to implement the International Health Regulations and the OIE International Standards when considering zoonosis control. In addition, the WHO Academy and other potential partners will develop One Health learning opportunities to allow health workforces not only to address potential future crises, but also to manage so many challenges that threaten human, animal and planetary health.

our common challenge

Last but not least, with the IUCN World Conservation Congress held in Marseille in September, which recognised the environmental dimensions of One Health, and the United Nations biodiversity conference in Kunming in October and the climate change conference in Glasgow in November, it is more than necessary to pay more attention to areas such as risk assessment, biosafety, ecosystem protection, biodiversity conservation, rehabilitation and restoration, as well as wildlife and environmental health.

This is our forthcoming common challenge, and you can count on the OIE to address this goal and make One Health a reality on the ground. ▪