One Health - GSpedia

The concept of One Health acknowledges the interconnectedness of human health, animal health, and the environment. While not a novel idea, its significance has grown in recent years due to evolving factors affecting the interactions between people, animals, plants, and the environment.

The One Health approach promotes collaboration and communication across various sectors to achieve optimal health outcomes for all living beings.

Key Pillars Of One Health

Lne health promtes sustainable and healthy future

Human Health Is Closely Intertwined With Animal Health

One of the key pillars of One Health is the recognition that human health is closely intertwined with animal health. This can be seen in zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Examples of such diseases include rabies, avian influenza, and Ebola.

These diseases not only affect the health of individuals but also have significant impacts on economies, food security, and social stability. The One Health approach emphasises the need for a holistic understanding of disease transmission and prevention to effectively manage these threats.

Focus On Environmental Health

Another important aspect of One Health is its focus on environmental health. Human activities such as deforestation, urbanisation, and climate change have a significant impact on the environment, which in turn affects the health of humans and animals.

For instance, deforestation can lead to increased human-wildlife interactions, increasing the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. Climate change can also affect vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever by altering the distribution and abundance of disease-carrying insects.

One Health Recognises Plant Health

In addition to human and animal health, it also recognises the importance of plant health. Plants play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems and provide vital resources such as food and medicine.

However, plants are vulnerable to diseases caused by pathogens, pests, and environmental stressors. The One Health approach advocates for a holistic and integrated approach to managing plant health, taking into consideration the interconnectedness between plants, humans, and animals.

Common One Health Issues

It encompasses a wide range of critical issues, such as emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases, neglected tropical diseases, vector-borne diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety, food security, environmental contamination, climate change, and other health threats that affect people, animals, and the environment.

Links Between The Health Of The Environment, Humans, Animals And Plants

Economic growth has improved human life globally but often harms ecosystems and animals.
The human population is predicted to hit 8 billion in 2023.
Increasing population and unsustainable consumption intensify the strain on our natural systems (UNDESA, 2022).
We are using Earth’s natural resources faster than they can get replenished.
These practices often overlook biodiversity and the health of ecosystems.
Our lives and wellbeing are closely tied to these ecosystems.
Land-use changes and unsustainable farming methods are harming ecosystems.
Large-scale deforestation and biodiversity loss are increasing health risks at the intersection of human, animal, plant, and environment.
These risks hit the most vulnerable communities hardest.
Rapid urbanization, unsustainable food production and consumption, and poor waste management worsen these risks.
Complex food chains, increased trade, travel, and pollution add to the problem.
The biodiversity and climate crises amplify these effects.
Environmental degradation erodes essential ecosystem services.
These changes disrupt the balance between health, food production, and natural systems.
There’s an immediate need to change how humans, animals, and plants interact with each other and their environment.
Achieving a balance in these interactions is vital for the health and well-being of humans, animals, and plants.
This balance is also the route to economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) depends on this crucial step.

Persisting Burden Of Endemic Zoonotic, Neglected Tropical And Vector-Borne Diseases

Neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs) primarily affect low-income countries. These diseases, including rabies, anthrax, brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, and others, have a significant impact on the welfare of domestic and wild animals, as well as human livelihoods and food security.
NZDs often go unnoticed by formal surveillance systems, leading to them being underestimated and overlooked by policymakers and funding organisations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified a subgroup of 20 diseases, known as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which are mainly prevalent in tropical areas and affect over a billion people’s health and livelihoods.
Many endemic zoonoses (diseases that are transmitted to humans from animals), including NTDs, are vector-borne, meaning they are transmitted via insects such as mosquitoes, midges, and ticks.
These diseases, such as Japanese encephalitis, West Nile virus, Dengue fever, and others, are prevalent worldwide, affecting countries across the income spectrum.
The spread of vector borne diseases is influenced by environmental conditions and human factors, making their control a complex challenge.

Also Read | Integrating ‘One Health’ In India’s Strategy Against Climate-Induced Infectious Diseases

Food And Water Safety Hazards

Food safety is a global concern with new risks appearing regularly.
Hazards, such as pathogens and chemical pollutants, can contaminate food at any stage, from production to consumption.
Diseases can occur when food or water contaminated with harmful levels of pathogens, chemicals, or other toxins are ingested.
An estimated 600 million people suffer from foodborne illnesses annually, resulting in over 400,000 deaths globally.
In low- and middle-income countries, foodborne diseases cause a productivity loss of about USD 95 billion each year.
The cost of treating foodborne illnesses annually is estimated at USD 15 billion, according to the World Bank (2018).
Waterborne diseases cause an estimated 4 billion instances of diarrheal illnesses and almost 2 million deaths each year globally (United Nations, 2014).
Not only are established foodborne pathogens like Salmonella a concern, but new ones are also appearing.
Diseases can be transmitted through various foods.
Food can get contaminated with pathogens and other hazards either in the processing environment or by food workers.
An example of such contamination is norovirus.
Chemical contaminants can also enter the food chain before harvest.
Veterinary drugs can leave residues in animals and cause contamination.
Pesticides on plants are another source of contamination.
Heavy metals introduced through air, water, and soil pollution can also affect the food chain.
These contaminants pose risks to both human and animal health.
Even animals are affected by food and water contamination.
Birds of prey can get poisoned from pesticides used in agriculture.
Livestock can face health risks from contaminated feed and water.
Water contamination can cause botulism and salmonellosis.
High levels of heavy metals and pesticides can lead to productivity losses.
Waste management is a critical issue, particularly the disposal of human and animal faeces, animal carcasses, and food chain waste.
There are challenges in integrating One Health into Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) management efforts.
The situation is made worse by the lack of cross-sectoral waste management.

Growing Threat Of Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health issue.
It’s a major cause of death worldwide.
AMR is particularly severe in areas with limited resources.
There were nearly 5 million human deaths linked to bacterial AMR in 2019.
Of these, 1.27 million deaths were directly due to bacterial AMR.
AMR doesn’t only affect humans; it also impacts animals and plants used for food production.
This has consequences for food safety, food security, and the environment.
Antimicrobials are vital for human, animal, and plant health, and for ensuring food safety and security.
However, Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is made worse by the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in human, animal, and plant sectors.
Many factors speed up the spread of resistant genes and pathogens. These factors cross from humans to animals and even the environment.
Problems in access to health services contribute to AMR.
Inadequate production and housing conditions also play a role.
A lack of clean water, poor sanitation, waste management, and hygiene are contributing factors as well.
Weak regulatory frameworks make the AMR problem worse.
There’s also a lack of awareness and education about AMR. People don’t understand the risks or how to use antimicrobials appropriately.

One Health–How?

Global leaders and stakeholders are working together to tackle the challenges of pandemics and ensure the health of humans, animals, and the environment.
The One Health approach is being incorporated into international agreements. Examples include the draft of international pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, proposed changes to the International Health Regulations 2005, and the draft of the Political Declaration of the Universal Health Coverage’s meeting.
The World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Organization for Animal Health have launched a joint initiative, the One Health Joint Plan of Action 2022-2026.
This five-year initiative aims to encourage collaboration across various sectors to address health threats.
It focuses on strengthening One Health capacities, fighting zoonotic diseases, ensuring food safety, and addressing antimicrobial resistance.
The plan highlights the importance of working together, guiding policies, and providing technical support at different levels.

Summing Up

One Health is based on understanding how human, animal, plant, and environmental health are interconnected.
It helps us understand why diseases emerge, spread, and persist, and the effects of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.
By thinking broadly and sharing data across many stakeholders and disciplines, we can better understand these challenges.
This helps us develop better prevention and management strategies and policies, which can build stronger health systems and ecosystems.
This helps build social, economic, and ecological resilience.
Healthy agrifood systems, especially livestock and fish food systems, are important for One Health.
These systems need targeted attention and integrated policies because of the many impacts of increasing protein demand on animal production and related systems (like deforestation for animal feed, increasing numbers of animals, disease emergence, and land-use change).