Health Without Borders: An Introduction into the Importance of One Health in The Modern World

Authored By: Laura Archibald, August 9th 2025

One Health is an increasingly important concept in the modern world. As the current global community is faced with past crises, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic, and future looming challenges of climate change, rapid urbanization, ecosystems on the brink of unbalance, and socio-economic divide (to name a few) the need to integrate the study of human, animal, and environmental health into a unified social and economic framework is essential for comprehensive understanding and effective response. Indeed, over the past decade, One Health has emerged as a guiding framework across multiple sectors, becoming a key strategy in addressing global health challenges. At its core, One Health recognizes the intricate and interconnected relationships between human health, animal health, and the health of the environment. This evolving approach builds upon the foundation of “One Medicine,” as originally described by Calvin Schwabe. By promoting interdisciplinary collaboration across medical, veterinary, and environmental sciences, One Health aims to bridge gaps in scientific knowledge and enhance our ability to prevent and manage infectious diseases (Pitt & Gunn, 2024). As a transformative model, One Health has already begun reshaping how we approach health in the 21st century—and holds immense potential to continue doing so.

Figure 1. The One Health approach in a glimpse. An illustration depicting the three main pillars of the One Health perspective, as well as statistics demonstrating the interconnectedness of these health categories (INRAE, 2021).

To begin understanding the concept of One Health, it is important to examine how it functions in practice. One example of its real-world application is its role in mitigating the spread and improving the treatment of zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are transmitted illnesses between animals and humans caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria, which often lead to illness in both populations. A recent and prominent example is the Mpox virus (formerly known as monkeypox), which re-emerged in 2022 and prompted urgent concern among scientists and public health officials. Critical questions arose immediately such as: How is the virus transmitted? How infectious is it? What is its source? How should it be treated? And why has its emergence become more frequent in recent years? Answering these complex questions required a broader, interdisciplinary perspective—precisely the kind of approach offered by the One Health framework. By integrating knowledge from human medicine, veterinary science, and environmental health, researchers were able to uncover key factors contributing to the outbreak. Human medicine investigations revealed that the smallpox vaccine, which had previously offered cross-protection against Mpox, had been discontinued in the 1980s following the eradication of smallpox. As a result, large portions of the population were left vulnerable to Mpox. In addition, the environmental and veterinary perspective discovered how increased urbanization and environmental changes in the area have left people more frequently exposed to animal hosts capable of spreading the virus (Pitt & Gunn, 2024). In summary, the One Health approach enabled researchers to piece together these contributing factors, develop effective responses, and protect communities. This case exemplifies how essential One Health has become in addressing the complex nature of emerging infectious diseases.

But the impact of One Health extends far beyond the control of infectious diseases. One Health also addresses a wide range of other issues, including the effects of urbanization and anthropogenic effects (or human-induced effects). This branch examines factors such as ground and air pollution, the influence of social networks (such a predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors) on both infectious and non-infectious diseases, and the broader environmental and societal determinants of health. This aspect of One Health is just as critical as the work focused on preventing global disease outbreaks. By exploring these interconnected issues, One Health is helping researchers identify emerging health concerns in our daily lives. It enables collaboration across multiple fields of study, allowing researchers to tackle complex questions that have the potential to significantly improve human, animal, and environmental health.

Figure 2. The One Health umbrella illustrates the complexity and vastness of this approach (Mackenzie and Jeggo, 2019).

The One Health perspective might seem irrelevant and distant to the average person; however, a closer look at our surroundings reveals numerous examples of its application in everyday life. For starters, examine a plate of food, and ask these questions: Where did it come from? How was it transported? How was it stored? How was it prepared? Is it safe to eat? These questions are all inquiries that One Health targets and answers to ensure that our food is not only safe for consumption, but sustainable, so we will have a plate of food to eat tomorrow. However, One Health does not solely rely on the professionals. It is necessary that the public take action to participate in applying the One Health approach to better our world, since collaboration will allow for the biggest impact and success. To elaborate, five call to actions might include:

1. Plant Native Trees

Planting trees might seem simple, however a small tree can have multitudes of impact. Trees help to filter the air that many species rely on, including us. By filtering the air through utilization of carbon dioxide in photosynthesis they help to mitigate the impacts of air pollution (such as green house gases) on our environment. Moreover, trees act as habitats for many wildlife species by providing shade, shelter and nesting sites. Lastly, since deforestation increases the risk of zoonotic disease, by forcing animals into proximity of each other (Tajudeen et al., 2022), planting trees, in turn, helps to counteract this problem.

2. Limit Food Waste

Food waste remains a persistent global issue, particularly in the Western world where food is readily accessible. It is easy to overlook the many resources invested in producing each bite we consume. For example, a single container of strawberries requires water, fertilizer, human labor for harvesting, machinery for transportation, and storage infrastructure. Each bite of food represents a long chain of environmental and logistical inputs before it reaches our plate. Therefore, it is essential to shop mindfully and recognize the environmental impact behind our food choices.

3. Join Conservation Organizations

One of the most effective ways individuals can support wildlife is by helping to conserve the habitats they depend on. This can be as simple as joining a conservation or watershed organization that works to protect the environment—such as through stream cleanups or the removal of invasive plant species. Participating in such efforts not only benefits local ecosystems but also engages with the core principles of the One Health approach, which recognizes the interconnected health of humans, animals, and the environment.

4. Live Sustainably

Minimizing environmental damage can begin with just a few simple adjustments to our daily routines. Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth helps conserve water. Switching off lights when leaving a room reduces energy consumption. Carpooling to work or activities lowers your carbon footprint. These small, intentional actions, when practiced consistently, can collectively make a meaningful difference for wildlife, the environment, and future generations of humanity.

5. Remain Educated

Remaining up to date and educated about global health facilitates the dissemination of key messages across communities, and ultimately implementation of the best practices within the One Health framework. Ultimately, the public plays a vital role in the One Health approach, as they hold the greatest potential to drive meaningful change. If each individual adopted the five techniques outlined above, the world as we know it could be transformed dramatically. As the concept of One Health continues to grow and its application becomes more widespread, new questions inevitably arise. Among them are pressing concerns such as how to deliver healthcare in developing countries for both human and animal populations. As well as, how to balance escalating challenges including: resource scarcity, energy crises, and climate change?. While many such concerns exist—and more will undoubtedly emerge—the cross-sectoral collaboration fostered by the One Health approach enables more cohesive and strategic problem-solving. By uniting expertise across disciplines, One Health helps ensure that the most critical questions are identified, addressed, and answered effectively.

References:

1.) Destoumieux-Garzón, Delphine, Patrick Mavingui, Gilles Boetsch, Jérôme Boissier, Frédéric Darriet, Priscilla Duboz, Clémentine Fritsch et al. 2018. The one health concept: 10 years old and a long road ahead. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 5:14.

2.) INRAE. 2021. One Health for People, Animals and Environment. INRAE Institutionnel. www.inrae.fr/en/europe-and-world/one-health-people-animals-and-environment.

3.) Mackenzie JS, Jeggo M. The One Health Approach—Why Is It So Important? 2019 Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 4(2):88. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed4020088.

4.) Pitt SJ, and Gunn A. 2024. The One Health Concept. British Journal of Biomedical Science. 81: 12366. doi:10.3389/bjbs.2024.12366.

5.) Tajudeen, Y.A., Oladunjoye, I.O., Bajinka, O. and Oladipo, H.J., 2022. Zoonotic spillover in an era of rapid deforestation of tropical areas and unprecedented wildlife trafficking: into the wild. Challenges. 13(2):41.