Shifting the One Health agenda from discussion to action first

William B Karesh -  Executive Vice President for Health and Policy, EcoHealth Alliance

1. What motivated EcoHealth Alliance to join N4H and what role will your organisation play to ensure its success, specifically when it comes to science-based and on-the-ground solutions?

Broadening societal engagement in One Health, reducing pandemic risks and the burden of diseases, and biodiversity conservation are at the heart of what we, at EcoHealth Alliance, strive for every day.  Engaging in the development and implementation of the Nature for Health Initiative presented a unique opportunity for us to leverage our long-term engagements with both local government and NGO partners around the world to not only help find innovative approaches towards solving 21st challenges posed by anthropogenic changes but to also help develop locally-tailored solutions that can benefit the health and well-being of people, animals and the environment.

2. From your perspective, as the Executive Vice President for Health and Policy for the Alliance, what is so unique about the Nature for Health initiative?

 When I first coined the term “One Health” in 2003, protecting nature and a healthy environment was at the foundational core of the concept.  While tremendous strides have been made under initiatives from the human and animal health sectors, I’m excited by the prospect of the first major engagement of the environment sector being initiated by Nature for Health and the leadership of UNEP that is backed with the resources needed to make real change on the ground.  

3. What does success look like to you and your organisation when it comes to N4H?

First, earnest engagement of the environment sector in developing and implementing solutions for health will be at the core of success.  The environment underpins the health of all life and, in this sense, people working in the environment sector have the great responsibility and the expertise to support the health of all animals, plants and people.  Next, we hope that N4H will demonstrate the significant value of investing in the environment to reduce the physical, economic and social burden of disease. And finally, investments in N4H could help to shift the balance of One Health efforts from discussion to action.