What Is One Health—and Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

In recent years, a simple but powerful idea has risen to the center of global conversations about wellbeing: the health of humans, animals, and the environment are inseparable. This concept, known as One Health, isn’t new, but its urgency has never been clearer. From climate-related disasters to zoonotic diseases, mental health crises, and changes in how communities care for animals, One Health offers a framework that brings all these threads together.

But One Health isn’t just a scientific model or a public health strategy. It’s a worldview—one that invites us to recognize how deeply our lives are intertwined with the animals and ecosystems around us.

The Heart of the One Health Approach

At its core, One Health is based on one truth: Human health, animal health, and environmental health cannot be separated.

This means that improving wellbeing in one domain requires attention to the other two. When ecosystems degrade, human and animal health suffers. When human societies experience violence or instability, animals often experience parallel harm. When animals become ill or stressed, humans can feel the ripple effects socially, emotionally, and biologically.

One Health encourages collaboration across disciplines that traditionally operated apart:• human healthcare• veterinary medicine• social work• environmental sciences• mental health services• public policy• community organizations• animal welfare and rescue

Instead of working in silos, One Health asks us to step into shared spaces and solve problems together.

How One Health Shows Up in Everyday Life

It’s tempting to think of One Health only in terms of global pandemics or ecological crises, but it is part of daily life for people who care for animals. Consider:

When a family experiencing homelessness refuses shelter because they cannot bring their pet.

Human health depends on access to services; animal health depends on the caregiver’s stability. The environment—urban, social, economic—shapes the entire situation.

When climate change fuels extreme heat or flooding that displaces families and their animals.

Emergency response suddenly requires cross-species planning.

When veterinary professionals face burnout due to emotional overload, impacting the care they can provide.

Human health impacts animal health, which then impacts community health.

When domestic violence survivors hesitate to leave because they fear for the safety of their pets.

Violence affects all species in the home, and addressing it requires coordinated, cross-disciplinary support.

These are One Health issues happening in real time—and Veterinary Social Work, Human–Animal Relational Practice, and animal welfare communities are uniquely positioned to respond.

Why One Health Matters for Veterinary Social Work and Human–Animal Relational Practice

For those working in animal care or relational practice, One Health is not an abstract theory—it’s the landscape we navigate every day.

1. It validates the interconnected nature of your work.

Helping an overwhelmed caregiver, supporting a distressed veterinary technician, or stabilizing a family during crisis all have animal health implications.

2. It supports interdisciplinary collaboration.

Your work often bridges human services, veterinary teams, social work, mental health, and community agencies. One Health gives language and legitimacy to this collaborative model.

3. It promotes compassionate, sustainable systems.

Caring for animals requires caring for the people who care for them, and the environments in which they all live.

4. It broadens advocacy efforts.

With a One Health framing, professionals can communicate more effectively about the importance of laws, resources, and policies that protect human and animal wellbeing simultaneously.

One Health is More Than a Framework—It’s a Future

As our world becomes more complex, the silos of traditional professions are no longer sufficient. One Health offers a map for the future: collaborative, relational, interdisciplinary, and compassionate.

It tells a new story: The wellbeing of one species depends on the wellbeing of all.

By embracing One Health, we’re not just expanding our field—we’re helping build a more humane, resilient world for people, animals, and the ecosystems we share.