WS 10a - The One Health Concept

The One Health approach aims at demonstrating the synergistic benefit and added value of an integrated approach to human and animal health as well as environmental science, thereby dismantling the disciplinary silos which continue to persist, for the benefit of the ecosystems that support human, animal and plant life. One Health is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and is intrinsically inter- and trans-disciplinary. In an interdependent world, health sector actors are less likely to achieve their goals without efficient multi-disciplinary collaboration. Global health threats such as climate change, emerging infectious disease epidemics, neglected diseases of poverty, antimicrobial resistance, non-communicable diseases, in addition to food security and nutrition, require coordinated action across multiple disciplines. One Health policies and programs involve both public and private sectors, research institutions and governments, to implement effective solutions to complex issues of global concern. A One Health approach is necessary to inform a coordinated response to the aforementioned health threats.

The two chairs for the session are on a consensus seeking mission by exploring a) the prevailing views on One Health, b) the notion of paradigm shift in One Health and c) the approach towards translating the One Health concept into politics and society. They will invite panelists from the various components of One Health to engage in a thought-provoking discussion. Output from the panel discussion will feed into the current Lancet One Health Commission.