The One Health Center of Excellence in Research and Training at UF was established in 2010 to embrace and promote the One Health vision in UF’s comprehensive campus which hosts Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Medicine, Public Health and Health Professions and Veterinary Medicine.
Definition
According to the interdisciplinary One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) established by World Health Organization (WHO) in May 2021: One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent.
The approach mobilizes multiple sectors, disciplines, and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems, while addressing the collective need for healthy food, water, energy, and air, taking action on climate change and contributing to sustainable development.
Key Underlying Principles Including
- equity between sectors and disciplines;
- sociopolitical and multicultural parity (the doctrine that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities) and inclusion and engagement of communities and marginalized voices;
- socioecological equilibrium that seeks a harmonious balance between human–animal–environment interaction and acknowledging the importance of biodiversity, access to sufficient natural space and resources, and the intrinsic value of all living things within the ecosystem;
- stewardship and the responsibility of humans to change behavior and adopt sustainable solutions that recognize the importance of animal welfare and the integrity of the whole ecosystem, thus securing the well-being of current and future generations; and
- transdisciplinarity and multisectoral collaboration, which includes all relevant disciplines, both modern and traditional forms of knowledge and a broad representative array of perspectives.
Some Interesting Examples of One Health:
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Nipah Virus Transmission in Bangladesh: Fruit bats, natural hosts of the Nipah virus, contaminate date palm sap with their saliva and urine while feeding. Humans consuming this sap risk infection, demonstrating the interconnectedness of wildlife, human health, and agriculture.
- Rabies Control Through Vaccination: Vaccination campaigns targeting domestic dogs have drastically reduced human rabies cases in regions where dogs are the primary source of transmission, highlighting the importance of integrating veterinary and public health efforts.
- Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Food Production: Overuse of antibiotics in livestock can lead to resistant bacteria that infect humans through food or direct contact, underscoring the need for collaboration between medical, veterinary, and environmental sectors.
- Climate Change and Vector-Borne Diseases: Rising global temperatures expand the range of mosquito species carrying diseases like malaria and dengue, linking climate science, epidemiology, and community health initiatives.