To address health challenges equitably and sustainably, it is necessary to understand that every form of environmental degradation may have direct or indirect negative consequences for human and animal health that can be prevented or mitigated with a One Health approach. However, the importance of the environmental pillar of One Health is the least well understood and prioritized in One Health strategies and conventional medicine.

Strengthening the voice of the environmental sector in One Health interventions is vital. But in order to do so, we need a holistic understanding of the relevance of the environment in One Health. The environment is critical to overall human health, influencing it in myriad ways that can be summarized as follows: 

• Ecosystem services: Healthy ecosystems provide essential services like clean air, water filtration, and erosion prevention, which are vital for human and animal health. Environmental health ensures that the shared environment and services it provides remain safe and sustainable for all. 
• Pathogen transmission: The majority of infectious diseases can be spread through interactions between humans, animals, and the environment. For example, zoonotic diseases like Ebola and COVID-19 can jump from animals to humans due to environmental factors that bring them into closer contact. A healthy environment reduces the likelihood and spread of diseases and contributes to the well-being of all living beings. Intact landscapes provide animals with the habitat they require to maintain distinct populations and limit the ability of infectious diseases to spread among and between species. Habitat loss and degradation concentrate animal populations, leading to the emergence of novel infectious diseases that can have dramatic impacts on people and society.
• Pollution and contamination: Environmental pollutants such as pesticides, plastics, and industrial waste can pose significant health risks to humans and animals. Contaminated water or food can lead to outbreaks of diseases. Environmental health safeguards the quality of water and food sources upon which humans and animals rely. 
• Innovations from nature: The environment plays a pivotal role in the development of new medicines, therapies, and sustainable technologies that promote resilience, adaptation, and transformative solutions benefiting human and ecological systems.
• Climate change: Environmental health can address some of the health impacts of climate change, such as heat-related illnesses, increased prevalence of vector-borne diseases, and food insecurity. These impacts affect human health directly and can also influence animals and ecosystems.

A One Health approach to consevation: Read more