By Ayomide Otitoju
A correction has been issued to an earlier statement regarding the launch of a global One Health initiative. It now clarifies that the World Health Organization plans to establish a Global Network of One Health Institutions to support the objectives of the One Health Joint Plan of Action, with invitations extended to Quadripartite partners.
The clarification comes as global leaders convened in France on April 7, 2026, to mark World Health Day with a landmark One Health Summit aimed at strengthening coordinated responses to emerging health threats.
Hosted by France, the summit underscored efforts to translate the One Health approach—linking human, animal, and environmental health—into practical global action. This year’s theme, “Together for health. Stand with science,” framed discussions around science-driven collaboration and preparedness.
Participants highlighted growing global risks, including climate change, biodiversity loss, unsafe food systems, and unequal access to healthcare. Experts noted that approximately 60 percent of known infectious diseases in humans originate from animals, while about 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic. The COVID-19 pandemic, they added, resulted in an estimated 15 million deaths and severe global economic losses between 2020 and 2021.
In response, the WHO and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cross-sector collaboration among health, agriculture, and environmental stakeholders to detect and respond to threats more effectively.
Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized the interconnected nature of global health systems, stating that protecting human health requires equal attention to animals and the environment.
French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his country’s commitment to advancing the One Health agenda, calling for stronger international cooperation and science-led solutions to prevent future crises.
The summit brought together heads of state, ministers, and experts, with outcomes expected to inform ongoing global discussions, including within the G7, on improving preparedness and coordinated responses to health threats at the intersection of humans, animals, and ecosystems.
