The One Health is a concept and an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of humans, animals, plants, and the wider ecosystem, recognizing their close interlinkage and interdependence. The underlying idea has been recognized for over a century. The problem it addresses is the rise of diseases that jump from animals to humans, known as zoonoses, which account for about 60% of emerging infectious diseases globally. The concept's precursor, "One Medicine," was coined by veterinarian Calvin Schwabe in his 1964 textbook to stress collaboration between human and animal health professionals. The term One Health gained prominence around the 2002–2004 SARS-CoV-1 outbreak, which highlighted the risks of zoonoses, and was later reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mechanism relies on shared governance, communication, collaboration, and coordination across multiple sectors and disciplines. Globally, this is formalized by the Quadripartite Organizations: the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which collaborate on the One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022–2026). In India, the concept is operationalized through the National One Health Mission (NOHM), which is guided by an integrated framework involving over 13 government ministries/departments. A key recent change is the Cabinet approval in February 2024 for the establishment of the National Institute of One Health (NIOH) at Nagpur, which will anchor the mission. The approach is critical for tackling issues like Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).