WHO and Global Leaders Launch Concrete One Health Actions at France Summit

The World Health Organization (WHO) and global partners announced a series of concrete initiatives to protect human, animal, and environmental health during a One Health Summit held in Lyon, France, from April 5 to 7, 2026. The summit focused on transitioning the One Health approach—which recognizes the deep interconnection between people, animals, and the planet—from a theoretical vision into real-world application to prevent future health crises.

The event coincided with World Health Day, which carried the theme Together for health. Stand with science, emphasizing the role of scientific evidence in guiding global health responses. The summit brought together heads of state, ministers, policy-makers, and 600 scientists to address systemic threats including climate change, biodiversity loss, water contamination, environmental degradation, and unequal access to health care.

The urgency for a coordinated approach is underscored by the fact that approximately 60% of known infectious diseases in humans originate in animals, and roughly 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic. The impact of such crises was highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused an estimated 15 million deaths and resulted in trillions of dollars in global economic losses between 2020 and 2021.

The health of people, animals and the environment we share are inextricably interwoven, and we cannot protect one without protecting all three. The One Health approach brings together expertise to work across silos and sectors to prevent and respond to threats more effectively.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO

President Emmanuel Macron of France, as the host of the summit, stated that France is determined to move the initiative from ambition to implementation to prevent the next crisis before it begins.

Four Strategic One Health Actions

To strengthen global preparedness and response, the WHO and its partners outlined four specific high-impact actions:

• Global Network of One Health Institutions: In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the WHO plans to launch a new network to deliver the objectives of the One Health Joint Plan of Action. This network aims to provide countries with coordinated support, multidisciplinary expertise, and practical tools, utilizing the WHO Academy for training and peer learning.
• Expanded Scientific Guidance: The mandate of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP), the primary scientific advisory body on One Health, has been extended through 2027, with a subsequent phase planned for 2027–2029. The panel will focus on shaping the global research agenda, supporting the Joint Plan of Action, and driving science-based advocacy.
• Rabies Elimination by 2030: The WHO, WOAH, and the Institut Pasteur launched a renewed initiative to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030. This disease currently kills nearly 60,000 people annually, including many children. The initiative will focus on community-based surveillance and political commitment in endemic countries.
• Avian Influenza Strategy: A new Strategic Framework for Collaboration on avian influenza was presented to shift countries from fragmented responses to a unified strategy. This framework coordinates surveillance, risk assessment, and response to mitigate impacts on public health, biodiversity, food security, and livelihoods.

Global Coordination and Research

As part of a shift in global governance, the WHO is assuming the Chairmanship of the Quadripartite collaboration, leading coordinated actions alongside FAO, WOAH, and UNEP. Under this leadership, the partnership will focus on streamlining governance and prioritizing measurable impacts at the country level.

Parallel to the summit, the WHO launched its first Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres from April 7 to 9, 2026. This forum convened representatives from more than 80 countries, including health ministers from France, Germany, Indonesia, and South Africa, and the Vice-Minister of Health of Japan.

The forum involves over 800 WHO Collaborating Centres and serves as a platform to accelerate scientific innovation, data sharing, and capacity-building among leading academic and research institutions worldwide.

The outcomes of the One Health Summit are intended to inform ongoing international discussions, including those within the G7, regarding preparedness and coordinated responses to health threats at the interface of human, animal, and ecosystem health.