Addressing health from a socio-ecological systems perspective

Abstract

Historical shifts from integrative health perspectives to compartmentalised frameworks have hindered effective responses to contemporary health challenges. Despite the resurgence of integrative approaches like One Health, Ecohealth, and Planetary Health, operationalising these concepts within socio-ecological systems remains challenging. Health must be reframed as an emergent property of complex socio-ecological systems, requiring actionable systems thinking and approaches that prioritise integration and strategic interventions over reductionist models. Systemic health interventions face context-specific barriers, including fragmented institutional structures, short-term funding models, and the challenge of transdisciplinary collaboration. These barriers can lead to siloed climate adaptation strategies and interventions which, in turn, can have undesirable consequences. We urge policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to co-create integrated governance frameworks prioritising long-term, cross-sectoral collaboration. Institutional transformation—through revised funding mechanisms, shared terminologies, and iterative communication—is critical to embedding systems-based approaches into resilient health strategies. The urgency of global environmental change demands nothing less than a paradigm shift from aspiration to actionable systemic practice.