WHO and France Launch Major One Health Initiatives to Prevent Future Health Crises

On World Health Day, world leaders met in France for a key “One Health Summit,” where the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners announced new, concrete steps to better protect people, animals, and the planet from future health emergencies.

Hosted by France, the summit marks a big move toward turning the One Health approach—which recognizes that human health, animal health, and the environment are all deeply linked—into real action. This year’s World Health Day theme, “Together for health. Stand with science,” set the stage for the announcements.

The need for action is urgent. Climate change, pollution, unsafe food, dirty water, loss of wildlife, and unequal access to healthcare are some of the biggest challenges we face today. About 60% of known infectious diseases in humans come from animals, and roughly 75% of new infectious diseases are zoonotic (spread between animals and people). The COVID-19 pandemic alone caused an estimated 15 million deaths and trillions of dollars in economic losses worldwide in 2020-2021.

To stop the next crisis before it starts, WHO and global partners are strengthening the One Health approach. This means bringing together experts from health, farming, environment, and science to spot risks earlier and respond faster.

“The health of people, animals and the environment we share are inextricably interwoven, and we cannot protect one without protecting all three,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “The One Health approach brings together expertise to work across silos and sectors to prevent and respond to threats more effectively. WHO thanks France for hosting this Summit, and we remain committed to working with partners and countries to turn commitment into action and accelerate global progress for humans, animals and our planet.”

As the host, France showed its leadership and commitment to advancing One Health by supporting international cooperation, global science partnerships, and practical solutions.

“One Health is not just about protecting health, it is about recognizing that we live as one system, where the well-being of humans, animals, and the environment is inseparable,” said Emmanuel Macron, President of France. “France is determined to move One Health from ambition to implementation, working with the World Health Organization and our global partners to prevent the next crisis before it begins. Science must guide our action, and cooperation must be our strength.”

The summit brought together heads of state, ministers, experts, and policymakers. It highlighted how teamwork can strengthen global talks and bring together public and private partners for a common goal. The outcomes of the summit will inform ongoing discussions, including at the G7, about how to prepare for and respond to health threats at the meeting point of humans, animals, and ecosystems.

WHO announces four major One Health actions

Working with global partners, WHO has outlined these specific steps:

1. A new global network of institutions on One Health

WHO plans to launch a new Global Network of One Health Institutions. This network will help deliver the goals of the One Health Joint Plan of Action and will invite the Quadripartite partners to join.

This new effort is designed to bring together experts from many fields and provide stronger, more coordinated support to countries. It will help turn global guidance into practical tools and on-the-ground support. It will also strengthen training and peer learning through the WHO Academy and other relevant institutions, creating a clearer, country-focused model for putting One Health into practice.

2. Stronger science to guide global action

WHO and Quadripartite partners announced they are extending and expanding the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP), the world’s top scientific advisory group on One Health. Its mandate will now run through 2027, with a new phase planned for 2027–2029. This will strengthen its role in three priority areas: shaping the global research agenda, supporting the One Health Joint Plan of Action, and driving high-level advocacy based on science and evidence.

3. A new push to eliminate rabies by 2030

WHO, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the Institut Pasteur launched a new global effort to end dog-related human rabies deaths by 2030. Rabies still kills nearly 60,000 people each year, many of them children. Led by countries where the disease is common, this initiative will boost political commitment and community-based surveillance and research. It will use rabies elimination as a model to strengthen broader One Health surveillance and preparedness systems.

4. A unified strategy to tackle avian influenza threats

WHO and Quadripartite partners presented a new Strategic Framework for Collaboration on avian influenza. This framework strengthens coordination on surveillance, risk assessment, preparedness, and response. It helps countries move from scattered actions to a unified One Health strategy, addressing the wider impacts of avian influenza on public health, food security, livelihoods, and biodiversity.

WHO to lead global One Health coordination

WHO is also taking over as Chair of the Quadripartite collaboration, taking on a bigger leadership role for coordinated global action alongside FAO, WOAH, and UNEP. Under WHO’s leadership, the Quadripartite partnership will focus on delivering measurable results at the country level, streamlining governance, and aligning efforts around a set of high-impact priorities. It will also strengthen advocacy, norm-setting, and evidence generation.

Global Forum of Collaborating Centres opens

Alongside the summit, WHO is holding its first Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres (CCs), running from April 7 to 9. The forum brings together high-level representatives, including the Minister of Health of France, as well as ministers from Germany, Indonesia, and South Africa, along with more than 800 WHO CCs from over 80 countries.

The Global Forum will serve as a forward-looking platform to deepen collaboration among top academic and research institutions worldwide, speeding up scientific innovation, data sharing, coordinated research, and capacity-building.

Both the One Health Summit and the Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres send a clear message: tackling today’s complex health challenges requires stronger global teamwork, greater investment in science, and ongoing efforts to turn the One Health approach into concrete action at both global and local levels.