The scientific consensus is clear: human health, domestic and wild animal health, plant health and the health of our environment are deeply connected. They cannot be addressed in isolation as they form a common system that demands to be treated as a whole. Pioneered in the 1960s, and popularised at the 2023 World Health Summit, this integrated approach is known as ‘One Health’.
The consortium of science academy networks known as SAPEA, which provides the background to the advice drawn up by the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, reviewed the scientific evidence for One Heath. Linking diverse issues from health and food systems to zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, infectious tropical diseases and the environment, they concluded that applying the holistic approach would bring multiple benefits.
SAPEA noted that in the current policy landscape, some major EU policies, such as the General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030, the zero pollution action plan, the Animal Health Law and the strategy on adaptation to climate change are already integrating a One Health approach. But they also felt that other policies including the European Green Deal, the Plant Health Law, the Habitats Directive, the biodiversity strategy, the farm-to-fork strategy and marine environmental policies would benefit from a greater emphasis on One Health.
The evidence review report published by SAPEA noted that some policies are not sufficiently designed to deliver co-benefits outside their immediate sphere of application. For example, policies on food and agriculture have inevitable repercussions for human diets, animal welfare and non-communicable diseases, and yet they risk being treated as stand-alone policy areas. Building on such findings, the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors then looked at the existing governance and recommended that policymakers should do more to strengthen the overall policy coherence related to One Health and strive to seek optimal outcomes targeting multiple objectives so that people, animals, the environment and ecosystems also benefit.
The question, of course, is how. How can we apply the One Health approach in EU policies, and what forms of management and cross-sectoral collaboration could help accelerate that process?
The advisors set out a number of strategic recommendations. Firstly, the EU should adopt the One Health High-Level Expert Panel definition of One Health and use it as a basis for all future actions in this area, positioning the EU as a leader in this field.
They also recommend that the EU should develop effective One Health governance by breaking down silos and creating links at EU, national and local level, and promoting the sharing of best practice between governments and stakeholders.
In addition, they call for more coherence and for the integration of the One Health approach from the early stages of policy development, especially in areas such as health (including animal and plant health), chemicals, environment and climate, food and agriculture (including food safety and nutrition), research and innovation, trade, regional, urban and rural development and education.
The One Health approach means not considering human health in isolation. It will require a dramatic change in thinking for a broad range of citizens, professionals and policymakers, starting with education. For this reason, Europe should support the inclusion of a One Health perspective in education at all levels, professional training and public awareness.
The SAPEA evidence review found significant gaps in research. More interdisciplinary research is required on the cost-effectiveness of individual One Health policy interventions and on human behaviours such as wildlife trade, farming practices, water management and vaccination acceptance. And we must also explore relevant technological innovations. For example, remote sensing and technologies to monitor environmental changes that impact health are key elements, as are leveraging big data and artificial intelligence.
Finally, Europe must also expand its surveillance and monitoring systems, which currently have a medical focus, to detect emerging threats across species and environments, where near real-time information is essential. Moreover, links between existing systems should be improved. Work has already begun to improve these links, with European agencies responsible for food safety, health, environment, chemicals and medicine developing a joint framework for action.
The European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) provides independent scientific evidence and policy recommendations to the European institutions on systemic, complex and strategic policy issues. These headline recommendations represent highlights from the broader findings within the Scientific Opinion and Evidence Review Report, which informs and underpins the SAM advice. Both can be consulted from the SAM website:
One Health governance in the European Union – Scientific Advice Mechanism
SAPEA: Science Advice for Policy by European Academies
Reference:
European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation & Group of Chief Scientific Advisors. (2024). – One Health governance in the European Union – Publications Office of the EU
To cite this article/service:
“Science for Environment Policy”: European Commission DG Environment News Alert Service, edited by the Science Communication Unit, The University of the West of England, Bristol.
Notes on content:
The contents and views included in Science for Environment Policy are based on independent, peer reviewed research and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Commission.
