Leaders call for scale-up in implementing One Health approach

Adopting a One Health approach that recognizes the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment offers promising solutions for addressing unprecedented challenges.

Speaking at the Second Quadripartite Executive Annual Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya today, WHO’s Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “We need sustained political will to ensure One Health principles are embedded in national and international policies. Implementation in countries; resource mobilization; science and evidence; and political will. These are the four priorities that we must pursue together in the year ahead.”

Leaders of the four organizations of the Quadripartite collaboration on One Health — the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Environment Programme, the World Health Organization, and the World Organisation for Animal Health have worked together to advance the One Health approach worldwide.

In the meeting today, the organizations reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance the plan’s policy impact and mobilize sustainable resources to support One Health implementation at all levels.

The One Health Joint Plan of Action launched in 2022 is designed to integrate systems and capacity so that we can collectively better prevent, predict, detect, and respond to health threats. Ultimately, this initiative seeks to improve the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment, while contributing to sustainable development.

The newly launched One Health Joint Plan of Action Implementation Guide is a cornerstone of the global efforts, providing practical guidance for translating One Health theory into action. The One Health High Level Expert Panel collated existing resources and tools developed the One Health inventory list for the Guide.

“The ultimate goal and value of our One Health collaboration lie in effecting positive changes at the country level,” said Dr Amina Benyahia, Head a.i. WHO One Health Initiative. “By empowering countries, strengthening health systems, and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, we have the opportunity to drive transformative change from the ground up to achieve improved health and well-being globally.”