‘One Health’ and the role of science for better policy

As Europe faces overlapping challenges – from public health threats to biodiversity loss and environmental degradation – the need for integrated, evidence-based policymaking has never been clearer. The ‘One Health’ concept, which recognises the interconnection between human, animal and environmental health is now increasingly influencing the way policy is shaped.

‘One Health’ is gaining significant attention in scientific, political and policy circles in the European Union. Drawing on the expertise of a recent scientific opinion and report by the Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM), the question is: how can scientific knowledge, and interdisciplinary collaboration shape One Health policies better?

What is One Health, and why do we need it now?

The One Health concept, which recognises the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health, is not new, but it has gained fresh relevance in the aftermath of recent global health emergencies. From research labs to political forums, One Health is now increasingly influencing the way policy is shaped, especially within the European Union.

The Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) of the European Commission provides independent, evidence-based scientific advice to inform EU policymaking. SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies), as part of SAM, brings together leading experts from across Europe to contribute to this process. One of their recent focus areas has been One Health, about which they published a scientific opinion and report.

The growing momentum behind One Health in global health discussions is not accidental. “One health has received unexpected traction in the last decades” – While the H5N1 avian flu outbreak in 2005 marked a turning point, highlighting the vulnerability of human health systems to diseases originating in animals, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that highlighted the links between ecosystems, zoonotic disease, and humans.

In response, international health governance structures began to evolve. What started as the Tripartite collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE), expanded to include the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – forming what is now known as the Quadripartite collaboration.

Professor Jakob Zinsstag explains: “The Quadripartite has proposed a joint plan of action addressing the most pressing needs of global health security like pandemic prevention, integrated surveillance-response of endemic zoonoses and the reduction of antimicrobial resistance.” – Full interview with Jakob Zinsstag

The One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) defines One Health as ‘an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.’

This definition has been developed by key organisations and experts in the field over the past 20 years, underscores Professor Nicole Grobert. As Chair of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GCSA) to the European Commission in the period of 2020-2025, she was involved in commissioning the One Health report.

Professor Zinsstag explains its specific focus, stating, “One Health aims at demonstrating an incremental benefit from closer cooperation between sectors and has thus a very practical and financial objective.” Professor Grobert illustrates this with an example: “For example, if bees were to become extinct, it would disrupt the global food supply. We would be facing global food shortages as bees are important pollinators for many of the crops we rely on. A One Health approach means thinking through the implications of that and acting on the implications. It means avoiding the use of insect-pest control, which might save a specific crop at the time, but could have detrimental effects on the bee population and the wider ecosystem essential for bees and other insects, animals, and humans.”

Professor Nicole Grobert: “Bee extinction would potentially lead to further extinctions of dependent species and would leave our environment less diverse and resilient.”

This practical focus has helped secure commitments from global groups like the G7, G20, and the European Union, as well as numerous national governments, to operationalise One Health principles. When we talk about One Health governance, we mean structures, policies, and collaborative mechanisms that enable this approach to be implemented effectively across sectors and levels – Professor Gobert emphasises.

Challenges of One Health governance

Despite the growing political support for One Health, significant gaps remain in making it a reality. According to scientists and policy makers, EU policies lack evidence and closer cooperation between sectors. The One Health approach stresses the importance of working across different sectors, including working relationships between academia, policymakers and society.

“The main gap is the lack of evidence of the incremental benefit of closer cooperation between sectors”, points out Professor Zinsstag. He adds that “We need more good case studies that show that cooperation between sectors pays off.”

The SAM scientific opinion found several key challenges to the effective implementation of One Health governance. Professor Grobert notes that the European Commission has acknowledged the importance of the One Health approach already, for example in actions on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Meanwhile the Commission wants to progress further in the implementation of a One Health approach, hence they asked for a scientific opinion on how it can improve governance of One Health at the EU level.

According to Professor Grobert, while certain competences like public health are dealt with at the national levels, others, such as agriculture and environment are dealt by the Union and Member States, which makes the overall coordination difficult and complex. Furthermore, many agencies operate within sector-specific mandates, making inter-sectoral collaboration challenging.

On top of this, One Health data is difficult to integrate because the systems that provide the data are not fully harmonised.

Professor Nicole Grobert highlights that these systems need compatible operating structures, just as researchers from different research areas need a common language: “Addressing these challenges in silos is a bit like having top football players all playing for themselves, and not in a team – it leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. With better One Health governance, we would get more coherence, coordination, and resilience in policy responses.” – Full interview with Nicole Grobert

Integrating One Health into governance also means investing in the next generation of researchers, public servants, and citizens. To fully operationalise One Health across institutions, and to make it a part of policy, it must also become part of education. According to Professor Zinsstag, this doesn’t mean creating new institutions, but integrating One Health into existing educational structures. “The existing medical, veterinary, agricultural, and environmental science faculties should have compulsory courses in One Health. It should also be taught in primary and secondary schools” – he says, adding that One Health calls for a broader cultural change, and a new paradigm shift.

One Health and EU Action

Science alone cannot solve One Health challenges. The European Union has an important role to play not only in funding and coordination, but also in setting standards – embedding One Health into policies, supporting interdisciplinary research.

While the EU already funds interdisciplinary research and supports scientific collaboration, more can be done to ensure that this knowledge is integrated into actual governance, as despite growing awareness, the integration of scientific evidence into policy and governance remains uneven.

There are several key areas where significant gaps persist, so the SAPEA scientific opinion came up with six recommendations which specifically target these gaps.

Professor Grobert elaborates that the coherence of existing One Health-related policies, such as the as the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork Strategy, and the Health Union, along with the AMR Action Plan, could be improved. “With One Health being a systemic challenge, everyone needs to contribute.”

Incorporating One Health into EU policy frameworks, such would allow member states to align their efforts more effectively. Additionally, public engagement and communication should be prioritised to build trust, support behavioural change, and employer local communities. Involving societal actors in setting research priorities, One Health projects become more relevant and effective on the ground.