A Unified Vision for Global Health: The Lancet One Health Commission Report

Why One Health Is Crucial Now

The report of the Lancet One Health Commission (LOHC), launched on July 17, 2025, highlights the urgent need for coordinated efforts across human, animal, and environmental health. Established in 2019 under the leadership of the two Co(joint)-Chairs, Prof. Dr. John Amuasi (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), and Prof. Dr. Dr. Andrea S. Winkler (Department of Neurology, TUM University Hospital and Center for Global Health, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich (TUM)), the Commission brought together a diverse, interdisciplinary team to consolidate scientific evidence and outline actionable strategies for implementing One Health globally.

The report stresses the inseparable links between human well-being, animal health, and the state of the environment. As Prof. Winkler states, “we cannot separate human health from the health of our planet.” The report offers a comprehensive, cross-sectoral analysis of today’s pressing global health challenges, including infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), chronic illnesses, dysfunctional health and food systems, climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and freshwater scarcity. These challenges stem from rapid industrialization, urbanization, and globalization, which have improved life expectancy but also generated interconnected threats that transcend the scope of any single discipline or sector. The report provides concrete recommendations for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to address these multidimensional risks through a holistic, socioecological systems perspective.

A Systemic Approach to Health Challenges

The world faces a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, alongside rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and AMR. These interlinked challenges require integrated, interdisciplinary solutions. The One Health framework promotes such a systemic approach, rooted in principles of holism, equity, and sustainability. The Commission’s roadmap focuses on three foundational pillars:

• Governance: Overcoming sectoral fragmentation by integrating One Health principles across global, regional, and national governance frameworks; fostering participatory, inclusive, and multi-sector collaborations; and enabling institutional reforms such as “One Health in All Policies.”
• Economics: Advocating for a paradigm shift away from purely GDP-centered growth towards economic models that prioritize equitable, sustainable, and healthy socioecological systems. This includes innovative financing mechanisms for One Health initiatives and embracing emerging economic frameworks like Doughnut Economics and the Wellbeing Economy.
• Knowledge: Strengthening education, research, and knowledge-sharing by mainstreaming One Health competencies in higher education, integrating diverse knowledge systems (including Indigenous and intergenerational knowledge), and empowering citizens and professionals to drive systemic change.

The Commission also highlights the importance of enhanced disease surveillance, which must incorporate integrated data systems that span human, animal, and environmental health sectors. A One Health approach to infectious diseases goes beyond zoonoses to include neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), livestock health, and impacts on food security and livelihoods. Responses to AMR must consider environmental factors. They should also ensure fair access to effective antimicrobials worldwide.

NCDs have traditionally been overlooked within One Health. However, they share many socioecological risk factors such as pollution, unhealthy diets, and climate change. The report calls for inclusive governance and collaboration across sectors to address these diseases holistically. Food systems, as complex socioecological systems, require transformation to ensure safety, security, and sustainability, while addressing issues of corporate dominance, financialization, and supply chain impacts.

A Call to Action for a Healthier Future

The Lancet One Health Commission report is more than a scientific milestone. It is a decisive call to action. To effectively tackle today’s complex health and environmental challenges, we must adopt new ways of thinking that go beyond isolated approaches and encourage collaboration across all relevant sectors and disciplines. Achieving this goal calls for bold cooperation across all sectors including industries, and regions, driven by the values of fairness, long-term viability, and responsible management. It is crucial that policymakers, researchers, and practitioners put the Commission’s practical recommendations into practice by embedding One Health principles in governance, economic policies, and knowledge-sharing platforms. By doing so, we ensure socioecological systems are robust enough to handle future threats and promote wellbeing for all life on Earth. As we look ahead to the post-2030 agenda, One Health must be at the heart of global health strategies. It will drive innovation, foster inclusive partnerships, and secure a sustainable, equitable, and healthy future for generations to come.

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Comment: One Health for all: why gender inclusion matters (The Lancet)

Comment: Future trajectories for One Health (The Lancet)