One Health is an integrated approach recognizing that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected. Incorporating animal welfare into One Health frameworks strengthens both animal and human health outcomes.
The One Health framework provides an institutional and conceptual home for recognizing that animal welfare is not separate from human health — it is interconnected with it in multiple ways. Animals under chronic stress have compromised immune function, making them more susceptible to disease including zoonotic disease. Crowded intensive farming systems that compromise welfare also create conditions for pathogen amplification and AMR development. Wildlife welfare and habitat integrity are buffers against disease spillover. By framing animal welfare as a component of One Health rather than a competing concern, advocates can access institutional frameworks, funding streams, and policy levers that treat animal welfare as a public health investment rather than an ethical luxury. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the real costs of failing to take animal welfare seriously as a public health concern.