Beyond Symptom Control: One Health and the Transformation of Global Health Governance

Global health is at a crossroads. Climate change, biodiversity loss, antimicrobial resistance, and the increasing risk of zoonotic pandemics highlight the urgent need for a systemic shift in global health governance. The current reactive approach is no longer sufficient. The interconnectedness of the health and wellbeing of humans, animals, and the environment has never been more evident. One Health offers an effective and sustainable way forward.

By integrating human, animal, and environmental health, One Health enables cross-sectoral and international collaboration to address the root causes of health crises. This event will explore how One Health can serve as a catalyst for transforming global health architecture, ensuring a shift from crisis response/symptom control to prevention. Key stakeholders will discuss what is needed to institutionalize One Health, close existing gaps, and drive coordinated action. This high-level discussion will bring together policymakers, multilateral institutions, civil society, and researchers to examine:

The meaning of disease prevention at source.
How One Health strengthens global health governance and cooperation.
Gaps, needs and challenges that must be addressed to enable effective implementation.
The untapped potential of multilateralism and stronger global health collaboration.

The event aims to demonstrate the evolution of global health governance, the growing importance and benefits of multi-sectoral collaboration and highlight how indispensable improving animal welfare and environmental protection via the One Health approach are to protecting human health.