What is One Health?
One Health is a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that recognizes the critical connections between human health, animal health, and environmental health sectors. Because these three sectors are interconnected, successfully addressing health challenges in one sector requires consideration and coordination across all of them.
Some examples of One Health challenges include emerging and zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety and security, and pollution.
Many factors can increase the risk of shared One Health challenges across people, animals, and the environment, including:
- Population growth
- Close contact between people and animals
- Changes in land use
- Increases in global trade and travel
AHFSS’s Commitment to the One Health Approach in California
The Animal Health and Food Safety Services (AHFSS) Division of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is committed to supporting the One Health approach. By collaborating with our local, state, and national partners to strengthen preparedness, prevention, detection, and response, AHFSS works to address crosssector health challenges.
Through this work, AHFSS protects California’s livestock, strengthens food safety and security, supports public and wildlife health, and promotes responsible stewardship of the environment.
