One Health Concept [UPSC Notes]

The concept of ‘One Health’ is often seen in the news nowadays. The term emerged in 2003-04 in the wake of the SARS epidemic. In this article, you can read all about the ‘One Health’ concept and its importance, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This topic is relevant for the IAS exam health segment of GS Paper II.

What is One Health Concept?

One Health is a worldwide strategy that aims to expand interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for people, animals, and the environment. 

• It is adopted by international agencies charged with controlling zoonotic diseases, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
• The term ‘One Health’ was first introduced in 2003–2004, and was closely related to the emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Disease (SARS) in early 2003 and subsequently by the spread of the highly pathogenic Avian influenza H5N1, and by the series of strategic goals known as the ‘Manhattan Principles’ derived at a meeting of the Wildlife Conservation Society in 2004, which clearly recognised the link between human and animal health and the threats that diseases pose to food supplies and economies. 

About Manhattan Principles:

• These principles were an important step towards recognising the critical importance of collaborative, cross-disciplinary approaches for responding to emerging diseases, and in particular, for the inclusion of wildlife health as an essential component of global disease prevention, surveillance, control, and mitigation.
• The One Health concept is increasingly recognized as an effective way to fight health issues at the human-animal-environment interface, including zoonotic diseases.

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022 – 2026)

It was launched by the Quadripartite – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE).

What is the importance of One Health?

• The rapid increase in communicable diseases.
• Globalization has brought humans closer to each other and also to the animal world.
• Change in diet: all types of continental food being transported to other geographical locations.
• Climate change not only affects humans but also impacts animals tremendously.

One Health Concept:- Download PDF Here