© FAO/ Pisey Khun

One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, plants, animals and ecosystems.

FAO promotes a One Health approach as part of agrifood system transformation for the health of people, animals, plants and the environment. This involves a spectrum of actors and work on sustainable agriculture, animal, plant, forest, and aquaculture health, food safety, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food security, nutrition and livelihoods.

Ensuring a One Health approach is essential for progress to anticipate, prevent, detect and control diseases that spread between animals and humans, tackle AMR, ensure food safety, prevent environment-related human and animal health threats, as well as combatting many other challenges.

One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent.

The approach mobilizes multiple sectors, disciplines and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems, while addressing the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development. OHHLEP One Health definition

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Highlights
© FAO/Veejay Villafranca
Tool
Integrated Biosecurity Index self-assessment tool for agrifood systems
24/09/2026

The Integrated Biosecurity Index self-assessment tool (IBI-SAT) is for governments to see the full biosecurity picture in agrifood systems. 

Tool
FAO launches the new Sustainable Livestock Transformation and One Health Intelligence and Knowledge Hub
22/09/2026

FAO today launched the Sustainable Livestock Transformation and One Health Intelligence and Knowledge Hub, a new gateway bringing together FAO’s livestock...

Upcoming events
30/09/2026

This webinar will look at practical tools, technical expertise and country experiences that can support national rabies prevention and control programmes.

Hybrid Event, 28/09/2026

World Rabies Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about rabies and its prevention. It is also a day to call for action to eliminate rabies as a public health threat.

One Health Governance Dashboard
22/09/2026

The One Health Governance Dashboard brings together country-level information to help explore governance mechanisms, identify gaps and strengthen multisectoral...

Highlights
Connecting standards for a stronger One Health approach
21/09/2026

Codex and the IPPC show how One Health works in practice: distinct mandates, connected systems and shared action to protect food security, public health...

Highlights
FAO follows the plastic trail through agrifood systems
21/09/2026

Plastics have many uses in agrifood systems, but these benefits can come at a cost: plastic does not simply disappear once it has been used.