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U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – “One Health: It’s for All of Us”

March 28, 2019

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20993
1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)

One Health: It’s for All of Us

“...The health of people, animals, and the environment is intertwined. A health hazard for people may likely be a health hazard for animals. For example, smoking is not only harmful to people; it’s harmful to pets too. Medical advances in understanding and treating a disease in one species, such as heart disease in people, may be applied to other species. And a change in the environment can affect all living things, from people to animals to plants.

The One Health Initiative recognizes this inter-connectedness and advocates a comprehensive approach to health and environmental problems versus a piecemeal approach. By building bridges between physicians, veterinarians, environmental scientists, and public health professionals, the initiative aims to “promote, improve, and defend the health and well-being of all species.”¹

“No one discipline or sector of society has enough knowledge and resources to prevent emergence or resurgence of diseases in today's globalized world. Through mutual collaborations, veterinarians and physicians can accomplish so much more to advance the health of humans and animals,” said *Dr. Bernadette Dunham, former director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Dunham is currently a professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where her focus is on One Health issues. ...”