Harnessing Space Technology for One Health

WOAH and ESA Hold Earth Observations for Health User Forum 2025

Last month, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), hosted the ESA EO4Health User Forum 2025. This landmark event marked a major milestone in the WOAH–ESA partnership and the first significant follow-up to their Memorandum of Intent. It positioned satellite Earth Observation (EO) as a cornerstone of the global One Health agenda, reinforcing the role of space-based technologies in tackling interconnected health challenges.

Uniting Health and Space Experts

The Forum brought together animal and human health practitioners, EO scientists, policymakers, international organisations and industry stakeholders. It highlighted how EO technologies can strengthen disease surveillance, climate and health resilience, and prevention, preparedness and response systems.

One Health at the Core

The guiding principle of the Forum was clear: One Health is essential. Sessions explored how Earth Observation can address the interconnection between human, animal and environmental health. The One Health Joint Plan of Action was referenced as a global framework, with dedicated action tracks targeting key health challenges at the interface. These include monitoring zoonoses, vector-, food- and water-borne risks and antimicrobial resistance – all areas where EO data can play a transformative role.

WOAH’s mandate to ensure transparency in the global animal disease situation aligns with satellite intelligence. EO enhances health surveillance by detecting environmental changes such as droughts, floods and land-use shifts that drive outbreaks of diseases like Rift Valley Fever, West Nile Virus and Lumpy Skin Disease. This enables preemptive action, including the strengthening of early warning systems that provide veterinarians and public health officials with real-time risk maps at the critical human-animal-environment interface.

Technical Frontiers: Digital Twins and Predictive Tools

The Forum showcased cutting-edge EO applications, including:

• Disease surveillance: Sentinel satellite data combined with in-field measurements to forecast hotspots for vector-borne diseases and arboviruses and waterborne pathogens such as cholera and leptospirosis.
• Digital Twins: Virtual replicas of ecosystems used to model interventions like green infrastructure to reduce pollution and heat-related health risks.
• AI and Big Data Analytics: Tools to integrate EO datasets into real-time risk mapping for both communicable and non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular, pulmonary and mental health conditions.

From Data to Decision

Despite technical advances, participants emphasised the need to translate EO insights into policy and operational use. Key challenges include:

• Lack of standardised data formats across sectors.
• Limited awareness among health actors of freely available EO data.
• Need for user-friendly platforms to integrate EO into veterinary and public health workflows.

The role of Large Language Models (LLMs) was also discussed as a way to make EO data more accessible and actionable for non-experts.

Building the Future

The Forum concluded with a joint roadmap focused on:

• Cross-sector collaboration between space, veterinary, environmental and health agencies.
• Improved data governance and interoperability.
• Investment in a space and health education to equip future policymakers and scientists.

WOAH and ESA’s collaboration reflects a growing recognition that space-based technologies are important for strengthening health-systems and preventing crises. By embedding Earth Observation into the heart of One Health, the partnership is helping to shift the global health paradigm from reactive response to proactive resilience, making prevention central to global health security.

As the EO4Health initiative gains momentum, it signals a new era where satellite data not only observes the planet but actively protects its inhabitants. WOAH remains committed to advancing this vision, championing innovation that safeguards the health of animals, people and ecosystems worldwide.

More information

• One Health Joint Plan of Action
• WOAH and One Health

Contact: Dr Chadia Wannous ([email protected]), WOAH One Health Coordinator