One Health

One Health

One Health is an approach to designing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes. The One Health approach is critical to addressing health threats in the animal-human-environment interface.

The areas of work in which a One Health approach is particularly relevant include:

  • food safety
  • control of zoonotic diseases
  • laboratory services
  • neglected tropical diseases
  • environmental health
  • antimicrobial resistance.

All these areas cover complex issues that require close collaboration across sectors, stakeholders and countries.

WHO is a member of the One Health Quadripartite along with the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Organisation for Animal Health and United Nations Environment Programme. The 4 organizations work together to promote multisectoral responses to public health threats originating in the animal-human-environment interface and to provide technical advice on how to reduce these risks.

At the 28th Tripartite Executive Annual Meeting (TEAM28) in March 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the principals of the 4 organizations, expanding the Tripartite to form the Quadripartite, with the inclusion of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Related technical work

Related groups and networks

Publications

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Annual business meeting and technical conference 2022: local-level policy recommendations: operationalizing a One Health approach: political statement of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network

We, the mayors and senior political representatives of cities, gathered on 22–24 November 2022, confirm our commitment to the values and principles...

Supporting mainstreaming and elevating health and well-being in the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework: guidance note

This guidance note is a tool that can be used by UN agencies and development partners that have a role and an interest in health, development and humanitarian...

News

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Documents

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Multimedia

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