One Health: Joined research for health

Dr. Suzan Fiack Press and Public Relations

The fate of humans and animals is linked in many ways - also by pathogens. Around 60% of all pathogens can infect humans and animals alike. To meet the challenge, there is sought a global commitment to close collaboration between physicians, veterinarians and other healthcare professionals in "One Health" initiatives. At the beginning of the year, a European one-health program was launched involving more than 40 partners from 19 European countries. "Antibiotic resistance or threats from novel pathogens are explosive examples of how health and disease are related to humans, animals and the environment," says Professor Dr. med. Dr. Andreas Hensel, President of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). "A joint European research program under the umbrella of One Health can help to effectively counteract microbial risks." German partners of the "European Joint Program" for One Health are the BfR, the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut and the Robert Koch Institute.