One Health links up the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment in order to identify risks early and to tackle them in a joined-up way. Find out why this approach is important and how it is being implemented in Switzerland.
One Health: A holistic approach to health
One Health describes how the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment is interconnected and how various sectors, disciplines and the public can play their part in sustainable protection.
Human, animal, plant and environmental health are closely interconnected. The One Health approach brings together several sectors, disciplines and the public to sustainably preserve and promote the health of humans, animals and ecosystems (including plants), and to save resources.
As humans take up more and more space on Earth, human and animal habitats are increasingly converging. As a result, communicable diseases can jump more easily between species. In addition, infectious diseases that are transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes are moving ever further north due to climate change.
The One Health approach addresses these and other challenges. It involves the authorities, the science community and the public working together closely to prevent, minimise and monitor health risks. Challenges such as pandemics and growing antibiotic resistance require a collaborative response.
In Switzerland, the ‘One Health’ sub-body, which is managed by the FSVO, coordinates and leads this interdisciplinary and multi sectoral collaboration.
Switzerland has adopted the definition of One Health as defined by the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP):
“One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. It recognises that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent. The approach mobilises multiple sectors, disciplines and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems, while addressing the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development.”
One Health working groups
Various interdisciplinary working groups deal with key issues at the interface between human, animal, plant and environmental health.
The ‘Vectors’ interagency working group deals with the detection, surveillance, prevention and control of vectors and vector-borne diseases. It coordinates the necessary activities in Switzerland.
The interagency working group has the following objectives:
Selected areas of focus taking a One Health approach
The One Health approach is used in various national strategies, programmes and networks that are geared towards the prevention and management of complex health risks.
The aim of the national Strategy on Antibiotic Resistance is to safeguard the long-term effectiveness of antibiotics and to curb the development of resistance. The Federal Council has adopted a broad-based strategy for this, which is being jointly implemented by the FOPH, FOAG, FOEN and FSVO.
On the platform ‘Investigation of disease outbreaks linked to food and shower or bath water’ (ALEK) the FSVO provides documents for systematically investigating such incidents. The resources are aimed at employees of cantonal and federal authorities who are charged with managing such outbreaks.
Climate change impacts human and animal health and food safety. The FSVO actively contributes its expertise within the federal network for climate services.
Zoonoses are diseases that can be transmitted from humans to animals or vice versa. As animals often don’t show symptoms and humans can be infected through food, for example, coordinated surveillance of animals, humans and foodstuffs is key.
