One Health: Beyond Medicine

Lecture Overview

• Title: One Health: Beyond Medicine
• Presenter: Dr. Francisco Olea Popelka, DVM, MSc, PhD
• Date: April 1st, 2025

Lecture Objectives

• Understand and describe the One Health approach and its key concepts.
• Explain the interdependence among people, other animal species, and environmental health.
• Discuss the relevance of One Health in addressing global health challenges.

Outline of the Lecture

1. What is One Health (OH)?
   • Definition and importance of the One Health approach.
2. Examples of One Health Initiatives
   • Collaborative, multisectoral, and trans-disciplinary projects and activities.
   • Break.
3. Case Studies:
   • Rabies and Tuberculosis: collaborative projects and their significance.
4. Final Reflection and Take-home Message

Key Definitions

• One Health:

  • A collaborative, multisectoral, and trans-disciplinary approach to achieve optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnections between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.
  • Defined by the One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) as a means to sustainably balance and optimize health for humans, animals, and ecosystems.

• One Medicine: Coined by Dr. Calvin Schwabe, it posits no fundamental difference between human and veterinary medicine, sharing a common body of knowledge in anatomy, physiology, and pathology.

The Interdependence of Health

• Highlights the interplay between animal, human, and environmental health as integral to disease management and prevention.
• Major domains connected through One Health include:
  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Public Health
  • Human Medicine
  • Ecology
  • Environmental Health
  • Global Health and Food Safety

Zoonoses and Emerging Diseases

• Statistics:
  • Approximately 70% of new emerging human infectious diseases are zoonotic.
  • Factors like environmental changes enhance the conditions for new diseases to develop.
• **Key Examples:
  • Avian Influenza (AI):** Notable for requiring inter-sectoral focus given the emergence of AI in animal populations.
• Highlighted Risks:
  • Effect of climate change and ecological disruptions on disease emergence.

Collaborative Initiatives

• Examples of One Health projects focusing on major diseases and health challenges globally.
• Key Collaboration Domains:
  • Government (public health authorities, veterinary services)
  • Private sectors (pharmaceutical companies, NGOs)
  • Academic institutions for research and education.

Importance of Collaboration

• Effective public health strategies necessitate collaboration across various disciplines for comprehensive health solutions.
• Key Sectors for Collaboration:
  • Health care providers (clinicians, veterinarians)
  • Environmental scientists
  • Sociologists and community organizers

Conclusion

• Advancement of public health requires an integrated approach addressing not just diseases, but health promotion and prevention as well.
• Final Reflection:
  • "At the intersection of differences can always be found opportunities for creative ideas, innovations, and profound transformation."
• Call to action for collaboration across all health-related fields to address the complexities of health in the contemporary world.