More than 600 actors gathered to place science at the heart of the One Health approach
Organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Space, in collaboration with Anses, CIRAD, French experts from the inter-agency working group “One Health” (Agralife, APRES, CBSD), and international experts, the scientific symposium brought together over 600 participants from around the world. Together, they explored the inseparable links between human, animal, and environmental health. The discussions confirmed the necessary interaction between science and public policy to strengthen the impact of various aspects of the One Health approach. This unprecedented meeting of all disciplines and sectors successfully brought together actors from all backgrounds to co-create scientific and innovative solutions capable of addressing the complex health challenges of the future.
A unified approach for interconnected health challenges
The implementation of the OH approach is a global priority for public policy resilience in the field of health. It is important to promote transdisciplinary research, inclusive decision-making, and technological innovation today to acquire new knowledge, mitigate the impact of human activities, and preserve the necessary ecological foundations for future generations’ health and overall biodiversity. Only integrated, collective, and transformative action will allow us to anticipate, prevent, and effectively respond to evolving health crises in an increasingly interconnected world.
The scientific symposium established strong recommendations to promote this integrated approach. The goal is to move from fragmented and reactive interventions to a unified and proactive prevention against health threats. Human, animal, plant, and environmental health must be addressed as a single and indivisible entity.
Recommendations to inform decision-making
The recommendations from the symposium revolve around the four central themes of the One Health summit:
- Infectious (re)emerging diseases: curb the (re)emergence of diseases through integrated surveillance and increased prevention at the source;
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR): protect our medical future through global solidarity in rational use and sustainable agriculture;
- Pollution: reduce chemical and plastic risks through “Safe by Design” production from conception, representative exposure studies, and impact assessments;
- Sustainable food systems: rethink agriculture and food through agroecology, a territorial approach, and healthy, sufficient, and balanced nutrition.
Experts also emphasize the catalyzing role of data, enabling in-depth, open, and usable analyses, while human and social sciences ensure more ethical, equitable, locally rooted policies co-constructed by all actors to enhance their adherence.
The “One Health, One Science” symposium has taken an essential step by transforming scientific excellence into concrete recommendations for public action. By bringing together all disciplines and expertise, we have laid the foundations for a truly integrated approach to health, capable of addressing contemporary health challenges. These works collectively engage us, and the resulting recommendations should illuminate ambitious public policies based on science.
Philippe Baptiste
Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Space
