News

SEE: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/one-health

3 October 2022

Key facts

• The health of humans, animals, and ecosystems are closely interlinked. Changes in these relationships can increase the risk of new human and animal diseases developing and spreading.
• The close links between human, animal and environmental health demand close collaboration, communication and coordination between the relevant sectors.
• One Health is an approach to optimize the health of humans, animals and ecosystems by integrating these fields, rather than keeping them separate.
• Some 60% of emerging infectious diseases that are reported globally come from animals, both wild and domestic. Over 30 new human pathogens have been detected in the last 3 decades, 75% of which have originated in animals.
• Human activities and stressed ecosystems have created new opportunities for diseases to emerge and spread.
• These stressors include animal trade, agriculture, livestock farming, urbanization, extractive industries, climate change, habitat fragmentation and encroachment into wild areas.