At the behest of the French President, France hosted a summit in support of global health, animal health, food security, and the environment. In an effort to step up the implementation of the One Health approach, the One Health Summit sought to foster international cooperation, global scientific partnerships, and practical solutions to strengthen health security across human, animal, and environmental systems.
“The One Health approach, based on science, prevention and solidarity, is a matter of collective survival and our greatest asset for reducing risks before they turn into crises,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement.
Thematic sessions addressed sustainable food systems, zoonotic reservoirs and vectors, exposure to pollution, and tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
To develop international and interdisciplinary dialogue and promote collaboration on global health issues, the Summit launched several cooperation and research programmes and high-impact initiatives, including:
- The World Health Organization’s (WHO) global network of institutions on One Health, designed to mobilize multidisciplinary expertise and provide stronger, more coordinated support to countries;
- The announcement by the One Health Quadripartite (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), WHO, and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)) of the extension and expansion of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) – a scientific advisory body on One Health, with a new phase planned for 2027-2029, to reinforce its role in shaping the global research agenda, supporting the One Health Joint Plan of Action, and driving high-level advocacy grounded in science and evidence;
- The launch by WHO, WOAH, and the Institut Pasteur of a renewed global initiative to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030;
- A new Strategic Framework for Collaboration on avian influenza, presented by WHO and Quadripartite partners; and
- The Global One Health Diagnostics Access Compact, announced by more than 20 international partners, aiming to expand diagnostics access, enable early detection and better surveillance, and improve responses to existing and emerging threats across human, animal, and environmental health.
Guiding the Summit were: the importance of science, research, and innovation; promotion of proactive multilateralism and international partnerships; recognition of the key role of public-private partnerships (PPPs); and inclusive participation of civil society, local government bodies, and young people.
Opening on World Health Day, the ninth edition of the One Planet Summit – the One Health Summit – convened in Lyon, France, from 5-7 April 2026. Its discussions and outcomes contribute to France’s 2026 Presidency of the Group of 7 (G7). [One Health Summit]