Quadripartite call to action for One Health

In light of recent international health emergencies, continued threats of other zoonotic diseases, food safety, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenges, as well as ecosystem degradation and climate change, at their first annual face-to-face meeting held on March 27, the heads of the Quadripartite organizations working on One Health issued an unprecedented call for enhanced global action.

The Quadripartite consists of four main agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Stressing the need for enhanced collaboration and commitment to translate the One Health approach into policy action in all countries, the Quadripartite leaders urge all countries and key stakeholders to promote and undertake the following priority actions:

• Prioritize One Health in the international political agenda, increase understanding, and advocate for the adoption and promotion of the enhanced intersectoral health governance.
• Strengthen national One Health policies, strategies and plans.
• Accelerate the implementation of One Health plans.
• Build intersectoral One Health workforces.
• Strengthen and sustain prevention of pandemics and health threats at source, targeting activities and places that increase the risk of zoonotic spillover between animals to humans.
• Encourage and strengthen One Health scientific knowledge and evidence creation and exchange.
• Increase investment and financing of One Health strategies and plans.