Plenary 2

One Health – what does it mean for people?

Organised by the European Health Forum Gastein

Human civilisation is in the midst of a fragile and difficult time, facing a complex set of interconnected challenges. How can we manage and tackle this complexity, and move forward effectively? The concept of One Health recognises the interplay of the four spheres of people, plants, animals and their environment in shaping health and well-being, and offers a paradigm for addressing the interconnected threats.

Yet One Health thinking has been around for over 20 years and implementing such a concept has to date remained relatively elusive. This plenary will consider the hurdles already experienced in attempting to operationalise this concept and explore how we can overcome them.

What does a One Health approach mean in practice for different stakeholders? Do recent initiatives combined with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic offer a step-change to ensure that this time round a One Health approach can finally be put into practice to tackle health threats and build a healthier, more equitable and sustainable future for all? If not now, when?