Reinforcing the case for a One Health approach

When the 1995 film Outbreak, starring the inimitable Dustin Hoffman, was released to audiences worldwide, it seemed like surreal science fiction, pitched at the very edge of the realm of possibility. The pacy film profiled the desperate race to contain an imaginary zoonotic virus, Motaba, that jumped to humans as a result of anthropogenic activity — deforestation and trade in wild animals — spreading across nations like a forest fire.

The movie, though dramatic, served as a prescient illustration of a crisis that was to visit the world, nearly a quarter of a century later: the COVID-19 pandemic.

Interestingly, the film also stood out for its early portrayal of the core principles of One Health — long before the term was even coined. Since then, though, One Health, which draws on the interconnectedness between humans, animals and the environment, has emerged as a key concept gaining traction among nations, though practical implementation has progressed at a nearly glacial pace.

From fiction to reality

This year’s World Health Day message — “Together for health. Stand with science” — underlines the essentiality of adopting a One Health approach to protect animals, the environment, and humans. It also highlights the critical role of scientific collaboration and the use of evidence in crafting policy. As Outbreak outlines cinematically, there is a permanent state of conflict between different departments, arms of the government, and even nations, that come in the way of working synchronously to better tackle health crises.

As John S. Mackenzie and Martyn Jeggo indicated in their 2019 editorial in Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, the term ‘One Health’ was first officially used in 2003-2004, associated with the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome. With the spread of avian influenza H5N1, it gained ground. A significant contributor was the ‘Manhattan Principles,’ derived at a 2004 Wildlife Conservation Society meeting, which recognised the link between human and animal health and the threats diseases pose to food supplies and economies.

The authors explained: “It has become increasingly clear over the past three decades that the majority of novel, emergent zoonotic infectious diseases originate in animals and that the principal drivers of their emergence are associated with human activities, including changes in ecosystems and land use, intensification of agriculture, urbanisation, and international travel and trade.”

Today, international wisdom acknowledges that a pathogen unknown to mankind can suddenly emerge, wreak havoc on populations, and threaten the stability of the world faster than one can say ‘One Health’.

According to the One Health Commission: “One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems.” The approach it advocates involves mobilising multiple sectors, disciplines and communities to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems.

The COVID-19 pandemic, in some senses, was the fulcrum that convinced even reluctant nations of the world to invest in One Health, demonstrating visibly what the lack of coordination; and on the other hand, seamless coordination can do. It was the collective sharing of SARS-CoV-2 genetic data and the study of human genetic factors in COVID-19 susceptibility that drove the international vaccine development effort. The WHO Pandemic Agreement, adopted on May 20, 2025, is a legally binding international treaty aimed at enhancing global prevention, preparedness, and response to future pandemics. It focuses on equity, establishing a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing system to ensure rapid pathogen data sharing and equitable access to vaccines and treatments.

Internationally, One Health is led by the Quadripartite collaboration — including WHO, FAO, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Organisation for Animal Health. In October 2022, they launched the One Health Joint Plan of Action.

Post-COVID, the Indian government fast-tracked collaborative positions to address future crises. It mobilised the National One Health Mission as a collaborative initiative designed to integrate human, animal, and environmental health sectors. It avowedly aims to enhance pandemic preparedness, disease surveillance, and zoonotic disease control.

With increasing evidence emerging of stressors from climate change and how these affect the natural ways of the world, it has become clear that addressing the effects of extreme climate events is essential. While several national initiatives exist to drive India ahead on this path, continuous monitoring, evaluation, and interim mitigation programmes are urgently needed.

In this context, some State-led initiatives present inspired examples for replication. These include Odisha’s pioneering Climate Budget to track climate-resilient development expenditures, Kerala’s participatory carbon-neutral plan in Meenangadi, and Tamil Nadu’s Green Climate Company and Cool Roof Project in Chennai.

Coordinated solutions

The One Health Summit in Lyon, France, currently under way, in time for World Health Day, will focus on the main factors contributing to infectious and non-communicable diseases, such as zoonotic reservoirs, vectors, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), sustainable food systems, and exposure to pollution. It hopes to foster international and interdisciplinary dialogues about global challenges, particularly with reference to co-operation, propose solutions to strengthen health systems, and rethink global institutional frameworks that will align with One Health goals.

Welcoming increasing political consensus on One Health, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in 2023: “A One Health approach makes public health sense, economic sense and common sense.” Indeed, the only thing that makes sense in an increasingly interconnected world is an approach that recognises and acts on these connections.

Published – April 07, 2026 01:16 am IST