One-Health: A Notion to Address Human Health Concerns in a Transdisciplinary Manner
Jugal Kishore1 , Jaidev Khatri2 , Pallavi Boro3 1 Director Professor, Department of Community Medicine, VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. 2 State Project Manager, John Snow India, Arunachal Pradesh. 3 Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Sciences, Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.7048.202309
The “One Health” approach acknowledges the connections between environmental, animal, and human health. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention defines One Health as “a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach—working at the local, regional, national, and global levels—with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment”.1 The term ‘One Health’ was first used in 2003–2004 and was associated with the emergence of severe acute respiratory disease (SARS) in early 2003. A few of the technical terms cited in the definition can be elaborated as: Collaboration is the collective effort of individuals or groups where they share ideas, resources, and responsibilities to achieve mutual success and innovation towards a common goal. Multisectoral refers to joined involvement across various sectors or fields, governmental or private emphasizing cooperation between different institutions, ministries, areas, industries, and domains to address complex issues and achieve comprehensive solutions. Transdisciplinary refers to an approach that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, integrating knowledge, methods, and perspectives from multiple fields to address the human-animal-ecology interface solve complex problems, and foster a holistic understanding of the subject. One Health places a strong emphasis on the cooperation of multiple sectors, including public health, veterinary, husbandry, medicine, Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy (AYUSH), environmental & metrological science, agriculture, municipality, and rural development. To cover the above important areas, a major step toward formalizing the concept of One Health was taken in 2021 when the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) formed a High-level expert panel.
Kishore J, Khatri J, Boro P. One-Health: A Notion to Address Human Health Concerns in a Transdisciplinary Manner. Epidem Int. 2023;8(3):1-3.
