The One Health framework recognises the interconnection of human, animal and environmental health, creating a powerful framework for integrating animal welfare into public health and environmental policy.
One Health provides a strategic framework for advancing animal welfare by connecting it to human health outcomes that command far greater political attention and funding. Arguments for improved livestock welfare, wildlife market reform and antibiotic stewardship are more persuasive within a One Health framing because they appeal to human self-interest as well as animal ethics. However, welfare advocates must be careful that the One Health framing does not subordinate animal welfare to human health imperatives — the welfare of animals matters independently of whether it affects human health outcomes. The ideal One Health framework treats animal welfare as intrinsically valuable, not merely instrumentally valuable.