WHO Announces One Health Initiatives at Lyon Summit

Global leaders and health experts convened in Lyon, France, on April 7 for World Health Day, where the World Health Organization announced a series of initiatives to strengthen the interconnected health of humans, animals and the environment. The event, hosted under France's G7 Presidency, highlighted the theme "Together for health. Stand with science," emphasizing evidence-based approaches to combat emerging threats like climate change and zoonotic diseases.

The One Health Summit brought together heads of state, ministers from over 20 countries, scientists and policymakers to advance the One Health framework, which recognizes the links between human, animal and environmental health. About 60 percent of known infectious diseases in humans originate from animals, and 75 percent of emerging ones are zoonotic, according to WHO data. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored these risks, causing an estimated 15 million deaths and trillions in economic losses between 2020 and 2021.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the urgency of integrated action. "The health of people, animals and the environment we share are inextricably interwoven, and we cannot protect one without...