In a world where majority of our
day-to-day issues, such as human health, animal welfare and environmental
sustainability, are deeply intertwined, the One Health approach has never been
more needed. I believe many of us are already familiar with the idea of One
Health. As per WHO, One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to
sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems.
In simple words, One Health is the idea that the health of humans, animals, and
the environment are all connected and if one is affected, the others are also
affected.
One Health may appear to be a new idea,
but the concept is not. The famous Greek physician Hippocrates, in his text “On
Airs, Waters, and Places”, promoted the concept that the public health is
depended on clean environment. Rudolf Virchow (19th Century) coined the term
“zoonosis” (diseases transmitted from animals to humans) and promoted the idea
that human and animal medicine are closely linked, hence, creating a foundation
of the One Health approach. World Health Organisation (WHO), and Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) were established in the 1940s, during and after
WWII as the global attention turned to diseases spreading between animals and
humans.
World Veterinary Association (WVA) and
World Medical Association (WMA) signed the historic collaborative One Health
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 13th October, 2012, at the
General Assembly meeting of the World Medical Association (WMA) in Bangkok by
WVA President, Dr. Faouzi Kechrid and WMA President, Dr. Cecil B. Wilson, which
can be viewed as a unifying approach to veterinary and human medicine
(veterinarians and physicians) in order to improve global health.
The late 20th and early 21st
century have seen a significant rise in the risk of emerging zoonotic diseases
such as:
Tackling such diseases is not an easy
task and requires extensive surveillance of wildlife, livestock and human
populations which is rather difficult due to difference between the various
fields involved. One Health helps to tackle such obstacles by:
1.Monitoring
and controlling diseases in animals, such as the ones mentioned above. We can
reduce the risk and outbreak of over 75% of the emerging infectious diseases in
humans.
2.Promoting
responsible use of antibiotics across medical and veterinary fields as the
overuse of antibiotics leads to the development of drug-resistant infectious
agents.
3.Promoting
the message of maintaining the environment and dives into issues such as
climate change, deforestation, pollution and threats to food and water
security.
We can all agree that One Health is of
great importance but there are challenges, as said earlier, in implementing as
in real life, there is lack of cooperation between human and veterinary health
sectors. Limited fundings and insufficient public awareness are also major
issues which greatly affect implementation of One Health.
Hence, to solve such issues and to
strengthen One Health, we have to invest in cross-disciplinary research and
policies. Enhancement of disease surveillance and educating the public on the
importance of environmental conservation and public health can also be looked
upon. This is all possible only when the governments, researchers and
communities come together and work as one.
As the human population explodes
further, we can expect the emergence of newer diseases which may be caused by
animals or due to the careless behaviour of human towards the environment.
Therefore, the concept of One Health needs to be enhanced more and more, as
well as the collaboration between many levels.
The ‘one world, one health, one
medicine’ concept must be embraced nationally and globally. It must not just be
considered as a scientific experiment but rather as a necessity for a better
and sustainable world. When we recognise that the health of people, animals and
the environment is deeply connected, we take a crucial step towards a safer and
healthier future for all.
“The health of humans, animals, and the
environment are like threads in a web – pull one, and the whole structure
shakes.” – Adapted from Indigenous wisdom.
