2023 Overview
The first half of 2023 was dedication to report completion. The report was submitted to The Lancet in June 2023 and is presently undergoing external review. Feedback from both the external reviewers and the internal editorial team at The Lancet is anticipated in December 2023 or January 2024. The report will be revised accordingly, potentially in January and February 2024. There may be a second round of feedback and review, with the ambition of publication and launch in the spring of 2024. The launch event is currently under planning. Previous, current, and forthcoming activities of The Lancet One Health Commission are outlined throughout the remainder of this report.
2022 Overview
In 2022, the Commission remained engaged in a number of high-level efforts geared towards One Health institutionalization, operationalization, and implementation. The Commission was represented by Co-Chair Professor Andrea S. Winkler at the “Building European Health Union” conference, which was organized by the One Sustainable Health Forum in conjunction with the European Ministers of Health and Foreign Affairs meeting in February 2022 in Lyon, France. In May 2022, the Commission was represented by Professor Andrea S. Winkler at the Geneva Health Forum. The Commission was also represented by Co-Chairs Professor Andrea S. Winkler and Dr. John Amuasi at the October 2022 World Health Summit in Berlin. In November 2022, both Co-Chairs and several commissioners represented the Commission at the 7th World One Health Congress in Singapore. The Commission also neared the completion of its report in 2022. A critical review of the full report was undertaken in May 2022, after which the Commission convened for two days of meetings in June 2022, followed by a process of revision, recommendations development, and consensus seeking.
2021 Overview
In 2021, COVID-19 continues to underscore the relevance of the Commission’s work, the significance of the recalibrated understanding of the human-animal-environment interface that the Commission calls for, and the urgent need for the integrated approach to human, animal, and ecosystem health that the Commission is operationalizing. The present moment is one in which the scientific and political significance of One Health has increased tremendously; the Commission is now positioned among several ambitious undertakings geared towards One Health institutionalization, recommendations for financing and policy, and implementation guidelines; and the Commission is thus engaged in a process of alignment-oriented networking.
In April 2021, the Berlin Principles on One Health were also published. Co-authored by the Commission Co-chairs, Dr. John Amuasi and Professor Andrea S. Winkler, together with colleagues, the Berlin Principles seek to catalyze and guide systemic transformations to address global threats to humans, animals, and the environment. Most importantly, the Commission is immersed in an intense phase of report writing and editing. The report is at present drafted in full and undergoing an extensive commission-wide process of review and revision. The aim is to submit to The Lancet by the end of the year.
2020 Overview
In the context of COVID-19, The Lancet One Health Commission negotiated a few opportunities and challenges in 2020. Focus was directed towards engaging with the exigencies of the pandemic in relevant and timely ways. In April 2020, the Commission initiated its webinar series, One Health – Reconnecting for Our Future (recordings available - find below). Given the pressing need for scientifically informed conversations that connect the scientific community to policy makers, frontline clinicians, students, young professionals, and the wider public, these webinars engage experts from the Commission in raising One Health awareness, disseminating One Health expertise, and inviting a multi-directional dialogue that feeds back into the work of the Commission and its report.
In May 2020, the Commission was announced in the Lancet publication “Reconnecting for our Future: The Lancet One Health Commission." The Co-chairs of the Commission, Dr. John Amuasi and Professor Andrea S. Winkler also launched the COVID-19 One Health Research Coalition. Grounded in the guiding principles of the Commission, the COVID-19 One Health Research Coalition aims to galvanize interdisciplinary research at the human-animal-ecosystem interface and to engender knowledge and policies directed towards sustainability and health.
This coalition has been conceived as a powerful opportunity for the Commission to operationalize and implement the key messages that are evolving within the report, to stimulate and contribute to the research that is beyond the scope of the report, and to engage in a scientifically and politically instrumental capacity within the paradigm shift that COVID-19 invites.
In October 2020, the Commission Co-chairs Dr. John Amuasi and Professor Andrea S. Winkler chaired and participated in two sessions at the October 2020 World Health Summit: (1) “Pandemics and Operationalizing One Health: Working within the Framework of the Global Action Plan for SDG3” and (2) “Climate Change and One Health: Critical Action for a Sustainable Planet.”
2019 Overview
In May 2019, the Commission convened for the first time in Oslo. At that time, the Commission’s concept of improving human, animal, and ecosystem health through integrated approaches was established, the Commission objectives were drafted, and three working groups were created: (1) shared environment, (2) safe food and food systems, and (3) shared medicines and interventions.
During the remainder of 2019, the Commission participated in several high-level events and established a presence in key One Health arenas. In September 2019, the Commission participated in the Annual Meeting of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the 11th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health, and the 10th Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network Conference, all in Liverpool. In October 2019, several members of the Commission met again in Berlin for the “One Planet, One Health, One Future” event, during which the Berlin Principles on One Health were drafted, and for the World Health Summit.
At the World Health Summit, the Commission Co-Chairs, Dr. John Amuasi and Professor Andrea S. Winkler, chaired two sessions, which featured a few commissioners: “The SDG3 Global Action Plan for Health and Wellbeing: Are we ready for a Change in Mindset – One Health as an Accelerator” and “The One Health Concept: On a Consensus Seeking Mission”. A Commission management meeting was held in conjunction with these events, during which the Commission Co-Chairs, Secretariat, and working group leaders developed the Commission’s working and writing plans.
Current Activities
| Ongoing |
One Health for One Planet Education Initiative (1HOPE) Founded by the One Health Commission and the One Health Initiative, the aim of the 1HOPE Initiative is to “build global capacity for promoting and valuing the One Health and Well-Being concept and approach as the foundation for achieving the UN-2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. The Lancet One Health Commission is participating in the international and European 1HOPE planning teams and councils. Read more about the 1HOPE Initiative here. |
| Ongoing |
The COVID-19 One Health Research Coalition The COVID-19 One Health Research Coalition is in the process of being initiated. A concept statement and strategy has been drafted and is currently under review, the funding and organization of the coalition are being planned, and an interdisciplinary and transnational coalition network is being established. |
| Ongoing |
The Lancet One Health Commission Report – External Review, Revisions, and Publication The report was submitted to The Lancet in June 2023 and is presently undergoing external review. Feedback from both the external reviewers and the internal editorial team at The Lancet is anticipated in December 2023 or January 2024. The report will be revised accordingly, potentially in January and February 2024. There may be a second round of feedback and review, with the ambition of publication and launch in the spring of 2024. The launch event is currently under planning. |
Forthcoming Activities
| December 2023 and Onward |
The Lancet One Health Commission – ReportExternal Review, Revisions, and Publication The report was submitted to The Lancet in June 2023 and is presently undergoing external review. Feedback from both the external reviewers and the internal editorial team at The Lancet is anticipated in December 2023 or January 2024. The report will be revised accordingly, potentially in January and February 2024. There may be a second round of feedback and review, with the ambition of publication and launch in the spring of 2024. The launch event is currently under planning. |
| January 2024 and Onward |
The COVID-19 One Health Research Coalition The co-chairs of The Lancet One Health Commission, Dr. John Amuasi and Professor Andrea S. Winkler, together with colleagues, launched the COVID-19 One Health Research Coalition via a Lancet Correspondence publication in May 2020. The aim of the COVID-19 One Health Research Coalition is to galvanize interdisciplinary research at the human-animal-environment interface, in the interest of developing knowledge and policies directed towards sustainability and health. As such, this coalition is being conceived as a unique opportunity for The Lancet One Health Commission to operationalize and implement the key messages that are evolving within the report, to stimulate and contribute to the research that is beyond the scope of the report, and to engage in a scientifically and politically instrumental capacity within the paradigm shift that COVID-19 invites. A transnational and interdisciplinary coalition network is currently evolving and the concept statement is drafted. A plan for the organization of the Coalition and its initial funding has been established and its activities are expected to commence in full in 2024. |
| To be determined |
The Lancet One Health Commission Launch and Conference Following the publication of The Lancet One Health Commission’s report, The Lancet One Health Commission will be launched at the University of Oslo’s Aula. The Co-chairs of The Lancet One Health Commission will present the key findings of the Commission’s work and report, and Richard Horton, the Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, and other prestigious speakers will be featured. |
Past Activities
Webinars
The Lancet One Health Commission's webinar series, “One Health – Reconnecting for our Future,” addresses several topics of One Health importance, featuring experts from The Lancet One Health Commission. The aims are to raise One Health awareness, to disseminate One Health expertise, and to invite a multi-directional dialogue that feeds back into the Commission’s report.
Previous webinars with recordings:
| Webinar Title | Summary and recording |
|---|---|
| COVID-19: Rethinking Our Relationships with Wild Animals & Wild Places | Commission co-chair, Professor Andrea S. Winkler and expert Dr. Chris Walzer discussed how to create the conditions to minimize the risk for future pandemics. View here! |
| One Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic |
In this webinar, the Commission Co-chairs, Professor Andrea S. Winkler and Dr. John Amuasi, discussed One Health and its relevance for pandemics and health security. View here! |
| Pandemics of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Are We Always Forgetting a Piece of the Puzzle? | In this webinar, Commissioners Dr. Peter Daszak and Dr. Carlos Gonçalo das Neves reflected on the dynamics of pandemics and discussed prediction and prevention as integral to both One Health and health security. View here! |
| Developing a Career in One Health: Stories from the Next Generation | Dr. Renzo Guinto, Commissioner and the Commission’s Next Generation One Health Advisor, moderated a discussion among young professionals from key One Health initiatives, who reflected upon and shared their ideas for the future of One Health. View here! |
| Education and Capacity Building in One Health: Lessons from the Field | In this webinar, Dr. Renzo Guinto, Commissioner and the Commission’s Next Generation One Health Advisor, led panelists representing educational institutions, university networks, and student organizations to present their ongoing educational initiatives, examining challenges and opportunities in One Health capacity building and proposing solutions for the way forward. View here! |
| One Health Policy, Governance and the EID/NTD Interface | In this webinar, four Commissioners, Professor Helene Carabin, Dr. Bernadette Abela-Ridder, Professor Eric Fevre, and Dr. Anna Okello, discussed a number of policy and governance lessons from NTD programs. They identified some of the key knowledge gaps for future research and investment in order to better operationalize One Health into the future. View here! |
Funding & Support
The Lancet One Health Commission is funded by UiO: Life Science and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
The Commission is supported in-kind by the Centre for Global Health at UiO, the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and the Center for Global Health at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).