An economic framework for One Health investment: A critical tool for decision makers

Area of Science:

• * One Health economics
• * Interdisciplinary health approaches
• * Public health policy

Background:

• * Operationalizing One Health requires political and financial backing, necessitating economic justification for decision-makers.
• * Economic methodologies are crucial for advocates and policymakers to demonstrate the value of One Health initiatives.
• * Current approaches often lack a robust economic rationale, hindering investment and effective implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To propose a conceptual economic framework for building an investment case for One Health.
• * To outline six core economic principles applicable to One Health interventions and outcomes.
• * To illustrate the application of these principles through conceptual case studies.

Main Methods:

• * Development of a conceptual framework based on six economic principles: resource allocation inefficiencies, economies of scope, scale, joint production, distributional considerations, public goods, externalities, and incentive compatibility.
• * Application of these principles in two conceptual case studies: Leptospirosis and antimicrobial resistance.
• * Analysis of how economic principles can highlight the efficiency and synergistic benefits of One Health.

Main Results:

• * The proposed framework effectively illustrates the economic rationale for One Health investments.
• * Case studies demonstrate that One Health investments address health risks (e.g., Leptospirosis) and yield synergistic benefits like improved agriculture and livelihoods.
• * A key finding is that One Health benefits often stem from adequately resourced individual sectors rather than solely from inter-sectoral collaboration.

Conclusions:

• * Investing in the capacity of animal and environmental health sectors is fundamental for One Health operationalization and value creation.
• * The economic principles provide a robust foundation for developing investment cases that justify One Health initiatives.
• * Strengthening foundational health services is critical for realizing the full potential and synergistic benefits of One Health approaches.