Animal welfare and human health are deeply interconnected through zoonotic disease, antibiotic resistance, and food safety. Improving animal welfare often also improves public health outcomes.
The One Health framework recognises that human, animal, and environmental health are inseparable. Factory farming systems that maximise animal density while minimising per-animal costs create conditions ideal for pathogen evolution and spread. The COVID-19 pandemic traced to a wildlife-human interface is an extreme example, but the everyday relationship between intensive farming and antibiotic resistance is equally serious. Improving animal welfare — through better housing, lower stocking densities, and reduced animal stress — typically reduces infection rates and antibiotic use, with direct public health benefits. Animal welfare advocacy and public health advocacy are natural allies.