Lancet One Health Commission calls for unified One Health approach to tackle global crises

A new report from the Lancet One Health Commission urges global leaders to adopt a unified, interdisciplinary approach to health and sustainability, warning that fragmented efforts are no longer sufficient to address today’s interconnected challenges. 

While industrialisation and globalisation have improved life expectancy, they’ve also accelerated threats such as infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), non-communicable diseases (NCDs), climate change, and biodiversity loss. These complex issues, the Commission argues, demand a One Health strategy—one that integrates human, animal, and environmental health through cross-sector collaboration. 

Originally focused on zoonotic diseases, One Health has evolved into a broader framework. The Commission, convened in 2019, synthesised global evidence and proposed pathways for operationalising and institutionalising One Health, drawing on recent initiatives like the One Health Joint Plan of Action and the work of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP).  

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The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the urgency of this approach, revealing how deeply interconnected our health systems are with ecosystems. The Commission calls for One Health to be central to the post-2030 global health agenda, highlighting its potential to drive equitable partnerships, data-driven surveillance, and sustainable development. 

Read the report here: The Lancet One Health Commission: harnessing our interconnectedness for equitable, sustainable, and healthy socioecological systems – Unlimit Health