World Health Organization formally adopts One Health as part of Pandemic Agreement

On Tuesday, 20 May, after three long years of negotiation, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally adopted the Pandemic Agreement at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, making it only the second agreement to be adopted in the WHO’s history.  

The document outlines commitments on pandemic prevention, and for health, animal, and environmental sectors to collaborate through a One Health approach - a major step toward preventing disease spillover from animals to humans. 

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the need for a global agreement to prepare for and respond to pandemic threats. This legally binding document aims to make the world safer from future pandemics through a shared international response to better disease surveillance, routine immunisation, and taking a One Health approach. 

Over the past three years, Unlimit Health and civil society partners have actively engaged in shaping the agreement’s content through regular government consultations.  

Dr Gabrielle Laing, Senior One Health Advisor at Unlimit Health, co-chaired a UK government–hosted roundtable on One Health, antimicrobial resistance, and climate. We also collaborated with the Action for Animal Health Network and were invited by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to attend a workshop on One Health in the Pandemic Accord.  

Dr Gabrielle Laing said: 

“The One Health approach needed to be included in the Pandemic Agreement, recognising that people lead complex, interconnected lives with animals and our environment. Taking a One Health approach is a major step toward pandemic prevention, addressing underlying drivers of disease emergence and communities’ vulnerabilities.”

Unlimit Health prioritises a One Health approach to improving health, which involves working across partners operating in animal, human, and environmental health. The organisation is encouraged to see One Health recognised in the main body of the Pandemic Agreement—an important step toward more integrated and sustainable global health strategies. Unlimit Health’s ongoing work in One Health Systems Strengthening—across sectors and with communities most at risk of parasitic diseases—contributes to more resilient health systems and safer coexistence between humans, animals, and the environment. 

Learn more: UK adopts historic Pandemic Agreement – GOV.UK