One health successes and challenges

Abstract

The concept of One Health encompasses a wide range of issues and is subject to a variety of interpretations as a term. Central to the concept, however, is the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. This chapter reviews the experience of a number of disease detection and control efforts that have relevance to the One Health concept. These examples include rabies control, lead poisoning surveillance, animals as sentinels of environmental health hazards, parasitic disease control, and comparative clinical medicine research. The successes and shortcomings of these efforts illustrate both the potential of the One Health concept as well as the inherent challenges in its implementation. The chapter describes how integrated risk assessment and integrated disease control and prevention strategies involving human, animal, and environmental health components are central to the success of the One Health approach. It also outlines ways to overcome existing barriers to implementing such integrated strategies.