One Health: The Connection Between Animal, Human, and Ecosystem Welfare

The One Health approach recognises that animal welfare, human health, and environmental health are inseparably linked.

Key Facts

Around 60 percent of human infectious diseases originated in animals
Intensive farming creates conditions that accelerate the evolution of zoonotic pathogens
Antibiotic resistance driven by farm overuse causes over 1.2 million human deaths annually
Wildlife trade creates conditions for novel pathogen spillover events
Improved animal welfare in farming reduces the risk of disease emergence affecting humans

Welfare Considerations

The One Health framework reveals that animal welfare improvements provide direct human health benefits. Reduced crowding in livestock farming lowers pathogen transmission and antibiotic use. Better wild animal welfare through reduced trading and habitat protection reduces spillover risk for novel viruses. Healthier ecosystems support wildlife populations that regulate vector insects affecting human disease. The welfare of animals and humans is fundamentally interdependent.

What You Can Do

Support policies that improve farm animal welfare as part of pandemic prevention strategy
Advocate for the One Health approach in agricultural and environmental policy
Reduce consumption of products from intensive farming systems that drive zoonotic risk
Support organisations working at the animal-human-ecosystem health interface
Engage with the political debate on farm antibiotic use as both an animal and human welfare issue