One Health Publications

Key messages

“Expanding the One Health concept

Since the concept first emerged in the early 2000s, One Health has been defined and engaged with in many different ways. For many years, it was driven by the veterinary sector and predominantly focused on concerns about zoonotic disease transmission at the human–animal interface. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in particular, the concept has been expanding. In supporting this expansion, this Commission asserts that One Health is an interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multisectoral approach to addressing pressing global health and sustainability challenges and promoting equitable, sustainable, and healthy socioecological systems. One Health, as conceived by this Commission, is grounded in an appreciation of the fundamental interconnectedness and health interdependencies among humans, other animals, plants, and a myriad of other biotic and abiotic elements in the wider ecosystem. …”

Vaccines have saved 154 million lives worldwide in the last half century from deadly viruses.

One Health Section Of The American Public Health Association

In this issue:

• From Nsukka to the Nation: Reimagining One Health Through the Eyes of a Nigerian Veterinary Studentby Ibeh Esther Nmasichukwu
• Recognizing the Need for Sanitation Workers’ Protectionsby Neelima Charya
• One Health Spotlight on Thomas J. Doker
• One Health Outreach: Caring for Pets and People in their Communityby Jon Geller
• Addressing Kidney Disease in Nigeria Through a One Health Lensby Judith Eguzoikpe
• One Health Fellowship Opportunities & Resources by Anna Makaretz
• Get Involved with the APHA One Health Section

Communications Team: Helena Chapman (Newsletter Editor), Katherine Feemster, Anna Makaretz, and Heather Martinez (Newsletter Associate Editors), Stephanie Martinez (Newsletter Graphics Editor)

“… The “One Health” concept—endorsed by the CDC, WHO, and other global health leaders—recognizes that diseases often arise at the intersection of these domains. But a One Health approach isn’t just a public health imperative; it’s an economic safeguard. …”

Also see: 11th Global One Health Summit Program Draft

https://onehealthinitiative.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/WVAC2025-11th-GLOBAL-ONE-HEALTH-SUMMIT-PROGRAM-DRAFT_web.pdf 

Provided by:

Magda Lourenço, magda@worldvet.org

WVA Executive Manager, http://www.worldvet.org

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, attention and investment in pandemic preparedness have increased. Although there are many valiant plans around pandemic preparedness, they typically involve slowing the spread or mitigating the effects of a pathogen after it has already entered the human population. The task of stopping the pathogen from entering the human population in the first place, spillover prevention, remains a neglected area in discussions and planning for pandemic risk mitigation. Every spillover offers an opportunity to learn about an emerging public health threat and the conditions that aligned to enable spillover occurrence. In this article, we outline One Health approaches for use in spillover investigations, drawing from our experience investigating Hendra and Nipah virus spillovers. We present a roadmap for how findings from those investigations can lead to the development of interventions for spillover and ultimately pandemic prevention.