Opportunities for One Health policies to reduce poverty

Infectious diseases are known to disproportionately affect the poorer sectors of society, particularly those living in low- and middle-income countries. These vulnerable populations battle disease, debt, loss of livelihood and reduced economic well-being with consequences that extend to their families, communities, livestock and the environment. A strong One Health approach is acknowledged as a successful way of enhancing current capacity for the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases. Furthermore, it is also an effective way to address the multifaceted nuances of poverty. In recognising the interconnectedness of human and animal health with the health of our shared environment, One Health offers a valuable framework to prevent and control emerging infectious diseases through collaboration, coordination and communication across the various sectors involved. In recent years, as examples of One Health implementation have been documented and assessed, the linkages between One Health interventions and poverty alleviation have become more obvious. One Health interventions have the potential to reduce the economic burden of disease and create more efficient systems and approaches that generate higher savings, both direct and indirect, at the human-animal-environment interface. This paper describes aspects of this potential in detail. Although, at present, examples of the relationship between One Health and poverty alleviation are few, they are compelling. The authors believe that they provide persuasive evidence to encourage governments and policy-makers to employ the One Health approach in their efforts to alleviate poverty. Measuring the impact of this link between One Health and poverty alleviation has its constraints since appropriate metrics are still evolving. However, this paper hopes to establish the wisdom of recognising the role that One Health can play in reducing poverty, as well as its capacity to enhance existing policy frameworks.