One Health Day is an annual event marked on November 3rd that celebrates the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health. The day highlights the importance of the One Health approach, which recognizes that the health of all three Sectors is interconnected and that addressing the health needs of any one population requires a holistic, collaborative approach. For instance, a disease that starts in animals can sometimes spread to humans, or if there is a problem with the environment, it can affect the health of both humans and animals. Achieving the goal of One Health hence requires a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approach. On this One Health Day, we highlight the positive impact of the One Health approach on animal welfare.
The one health approach has had a positive impact on animal welfare and emphasizes the importance of preventing zoonotic diseases at the source, which is often animals. With improved communication and coordination between veterinarians, medical doctors, and other scientific researchers, there have been effectively improved diagnostics, treatment protocols, and disease prevention strategies leading to the control of zoonotic diseases at the source. As a result, animals and humans are living longer, healthier lives. One such disease is rabies, which is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. The good news is that rabies can be prevented through the vaccination of both animals and humans, and proper dog population in the environment. The One Health Approach has helped to increase vaccination rates in both populations, leading to a decrease in the number of animal and human deaths from rabies.
The rise in antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat that requires a coordinated response from different sectors. The One Health Approach is an important tool in fighting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and improving animal welfare. The Approach has the potential to improve animal welfare through coordinated responses from the human health, animal health, and environmental sectors. The One Health Approach can help ensure that all sectors work together towards the common goal of reducing AMR. By bringing together experts from different disciplines, the one health approach can help ensure that all sectors are working together towards the common goal of reducing AMR, and reducing potential risks to animals.
The One Health approach has led to improved animal products and high animal welfare products, by addressing the root causes of foodborne illness and contamination, resulting in food safety and security (Farm to Fork). This approach has helped to prevent future outbreaks of foodborne illness by identifying and addressing potential risks before they cause harm. By working together to address shared concerns about animal food production and consumption, we can make sure that both people and animals have access to safe and nutritious food.
The one health approach has also contributed to the development of new technologies and approaches that can be used to improve animal welfare. These include the development of vaccines, genetic engineering, and other biomedical technologies. The one-health approach has also led to the development of new husbandry practices that cater for both the animals' and environmental needs and can improve the welfare of animals. By working to implement new technologies and better husbandry practices, we can improve the welfare of animals and reduce the incidence of disease in livestock.
In conclusion, the One Health approach has had a significant impact on animal welfare. It has resulted in better collaboration between veterinarians and other healthcare professionals and has led to improved communication and coordination between different sectors. Through this holistic and integrated approach, we have been able to improve the lives of animals by better prevention and control of diseases, improved surveillance and response to disease outbreaks, as well as better management of zoonotic diseases, husbandry pressures on the environment leading to an improved quality of life for animals and improved environmental health and sustainability.