November 3, 2023, marks the eighth annual One Health Day -- a global campaign that celebrates and raises awareness of the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. Each aspect is equal, important, and delicately intertwined.
One of the best ways to learn about this concept is by watching Untamed Episode 201: One Health – the Wildlife Center’s award-winning installment of its made-for-television series. The full episode is available to stream free-of-charge here, or click the video below for a short explanation of One Health in (about) two minutes:
As the CDC explains, the overall concept of One Health is not new, but it has become more important in recent years; interactions between people, animals, plants, and our environment have changed at a rapid pace as human populations grow and expand and global climate change alters the landscape.
Tackling these issues with a One Health-centered approach can:
- Prevent outbreaks of zoonotic disease in animals and people.
- Improve food safety and security.
- Reduce antimicrobial-resistant infections and improve human and animal health.
- Protect global health security.
- Protect biodiversity and conservation.
No one person, organization, or sector can address these issues alone – overcoming these challenges with a One Health approach requires collaboration between all of us!
For more information and resources related to One Health, and ways that you can incorporate these concepts into your daily life, visit the Center’s Untamed Compendium. Teachers and educators will find a plethora of ideas on incorporating One Health into the classroom, too!
However you choose to celebrate One Health Day, the Wildlife Center of Virginia thanks you – working together, we can all do our part to help teach the world to care about and care for wildlife and the environment.
"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." (Chief Seattle, 1786-1866)
Happy One Health Day!