The United Nations Summit of the Future (September 22-23, 2024) is advertised as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges and address gaps in global governance.”
The proposal for the Summit originated with Our Common Agenda report, responding to the UN Secretary-General who asked Members for ideas on how better to respond to current and future challenges. The goal is “a fundamental rethink of our political, economic and social systems so that they deliver more fairly and effectively for everyone” and “to agree on solutions to new challenges.”
A subject not given its due at present is One Health, the interface of humans, animals, plants, and ecosystem health. It must be considered an integral part of this discussion and one of the solutions for the future.
Summit of the Future: Where does One Health fit?
Massive amounts of time have been spent, and materials have been prepared to be considered in New York during this month’s two-day Summit session. One such document is a draft “Declaration on Future Generations.”
Given its purpose, it will likely garner much attention during the two-day meeting and once put out in the public domain. We know that what gets discussed, debated, and approved, and the attention of social media is what gets done and funded.
This latest version of the Declaration contains some 43 paragraphs that, when taken together, explicitly or implicitly touch on all core global issues and aspirations. Not mentioned, per se, is One Health. Probably the most relevant paragraph coming closest to it is the one below, but it fails to make the connection between human health and the health of animals and the environment:
“34. Protect the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health through universal health coverage and strengthened and resilient health systems, as well as equitable access to safe, affordable, effective, and quality medicines, vaccines, therapeutics and other health products, to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for present and future generations.”
One Health is already recognized as a Global Priority
As we already know only too well, most of the world regions’ current economic, social, and environmental trajectories are unsustainable. There are multiple indications – through research and experience – that One Health is a crucial concept for successfully managing our future. It is evidence-based and confronts key planetary risks. A widely accepted definition exists, and many institutions and governments support it. For example:
- In 2023, four UN agency heads comprising the One Health Quadripartite (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), called for action to “Prioritize One Health in the international political agenda, increase understanding and advocate for the adoption and promotion of the enhanced intersectoral health governance.”
- In 2023, the Health Ministers of the Group of Twenty G-20, representing about two-thirds of the world population, stated there is a need “… to strengthen existing infectious disease surveillance systems, including at the community-level, duly integrating collaborative and inclusive One Health Approach as enunciated by the One Health High-Level Expert Panel and addressing the nexus between climate change and health.”
- Since 2018, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has embraced a transdisciplinary, One Health approach to making Africa safer and healthier for humans, animal, plants, and their shared environment, incorporating One Health into its programs.
- In 2022, the World Bank and the WHO established the Pandemic Fund, designed to assist low and middle-income countries. It considers a multi-sectoral One Health approach central to the prevention of public health risks and has financed such activities.
The Summit of the Future needs to make One Health more important
One Health is linked to many of the Summit’s broadest goals but is not highlighted as a priority. To give One Health its place as a critical concept, we need to recognize the following:
- Interconnectedness: The relationship between human health, animal health, and environmental health lies at the core of disease spread, requiring a holistic approach.
- Collaborative Approaches: One Health should be the anchor for strategic cooperation between human health professionals, veterinarians, environmental scientists, and social scientists, which will lead to improved health outcomes.
- Sustainable Development: One Health is tied in with sustainable development goals and the need for policies that consider the environment, agriculture, and health together, as well as research and educational initiatives in all three areas.
- Pandemic Preparedness: Recent pandemics (e.g., COVID-19, Avian Flu) underline the essential relevance of a One Health approach as the most appropriate strategy for pandemic preparedness and response.
- Public Awareness: Public understanding of the One Health concept, including community engagement in health education related to zoonotic diseases and environmental conservation, is an essential factor in prospects for achieving better public health.
- Global Equity: Health disparities underscore how a One-Health approach would support equitable health solutions globally, especially in low-resource settings, and help correct global injustice. The SDGs, especially the ones related to One Health, are falling behind in almost all countries, but developing countries are often much further behind.
The plea here is for Summit for the Future’s two-day session on September 22-23, 2024, to treat One Health as a new priority. It is a golden opportunity. Let’s hope the participants do so.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: A view of the Eduardo Kobra mural at UN Headquarters. Cover Photo Credit: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.
