Introduction 3
There were, however, a number of relevant professionals in the frame-
work who were less well represented and overall more difficult to engage
with. These included medical practitioners, environmental and conservation
experts; international development experts; criminal and legal professionals;
and economists or social researchers. It is, however, hoped that with wider
dissemination of the concept and increased efforts to establish collaborative
work frameworks, the relationships between different professions will im-
prove with time.
Fostering institutional interaction and empowerment is key to develop
a One Welfare approach leading to more efficient outputs for all. Some
countries lack this collaborative approach and the One Welfare frame-
work can help identify relevant areas to their societies and provide some
existing examples and references which can serve as a starting point on
which to build.
Many see the connections made by One Welfare as a more efficient way
to help tackle global problems, and have identified the value in developing
further the evidence base in these areas. Embedding this concept within ex-
isting undergraduate, post-graduate and professional development in cur-
ricula has also been discussed, and some experts and institutions across
different countries have already made a start.
One Welfare relates to sustainable and progressive coexistence of the
planet’s life forms. Dialogue and mutual respect are seen as essential to im-
prove both the human and animal situation across the world, particularly
in a context where humankind is the only species capable of consciously
altering outcome paths.
Social responsibility and animal welfare improvements were key themes
in several responses, where many wanted to be part of making our society
and the lives of animals and our planet better.
Just as the physical conditions of humans, animals and the environ-
ment are interdependent, so is their welfare. The topic of animal welfare is
still novel in many societies and sectors, particularly when compared with
health, and has not been adequately explored in connection to human and
environmental well-being. This book aims to assist readers in identifying
these connections and to inspire them to continue building up the evidence
base in this area by putting One Welfare into practice and documenting fur-
ther examples of these connections.
Why Do We Need One Welfare?
The World Bank defines One Health as:
A collaborative approach for strengthening systems to prevent, prepare, detect,
respond to and recover from primarily infectious diseases and related issues
such as antimicrobial resistance that threaten human health, animal health,
