People, animals, plants, ecosystems – making the case for investing in One Health

The economic costs from zoonotic and other infectious diseases run into billions of US dollars annually.  And according to World Bank estimates, antimicrobial resistance could lead to a loss of around 3.8 percent of global gross domestic product by 2050. 

These global health threats and potential economic consequences mean that countries need to invest in new ways to increase preparedness and prevention.  

A new brief from the FAO Investment Centre, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), examines the long-term, added value of investing in One Health – an integrated approach that recognises the connections between human, animal, plant and ecosystem health. 

Financial and economic returns to investing in One Health: evidence and future directions looks at how the approach can reduce disease burdens, healthcare costs, environmental contamination and antimicrobial resistance spread. 

By promoting collaboration across sectors and disciplines, One Health helps maximise the impact of investments while reducing unintended consequences and improving long-term resilience. 

Geared for decision-makers, One Health practitioners and financing institutions, the brief identifies barriers and opportunities for investing in One Health initiatives and reviews current evidence and knowledge gaps on the returns on investment.  

It also highlights the institutional and financing mechanisms needed to scale sustainable, cost-effective interventions at all levels, from the community to the global level.    

Thanawat Tiensin, FAO Assistant Director-General, Director of FAO’s Animal Production and Health Division and Chief Veterinarian, says that “today’s most pressing challenges – climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, food insecurity and socioeconomic vulnerabilities – are deeply interconnected,” adding that “they demand integrated approaches like One Health, which can improve prevention and mitigation.”  

Baba Soumare, WOAH Deputy Director General, points to animal health as one of the most effective entry points for prevention, adding that:

Investing in One Health means investing in stronger Veterinary Services, better surveillance and greater collaboration across sectors to detect, prevent and respond to health threats at their source. These investments protect not only animals, but also people, economies and ecosystems.

This investment case is reinforced by WOAH in its 2026 State of the World’s Animal Health report, which warns that infectious animal diseases are becoming more complex and costly while investment in prevention is under increasing pressure. The report highlights that, bringing Veterinary Services worldwide up to international standards would require an investment of approximately US $2.3 billion per year – less than 0.05% of the economic losses of COVID-19 in a single year. Strengthening animal health systems and Veterinary Services is therefore one of the most cost-effective investments countries can make to protect food security, livelihoods, biodiversity and global health, making investment in animal health a cornerstone of effective One Health action. 

Investments in animal health, food systems, environmental protection and public health can also reinforce one another, delivering greater impact than isolated sectoral interventions.  Assistant Director-General and Director of the FAO Investment Centre Mohamed Manssouri says that “while the wider benefits of investing in One Health are recognised globally, investments in One Health initiatives are still limited.” 

He stresses that “more quantitative evidence of the added value of the One Health approach and support to governments to translate One Health priorities into investment plans are essential for securing continued political commitment as well as investor confidence and engagement.” 

Dr Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General, WHO, echoes this sentiment, confirming that as “Chair of the Quadripartite, WHO will work with partners to strengthen the evidence on the impact and return on investment of One Health interventions. This is essential to build a stronger scientific and economic case for One Health approach and turn political commitment into action.”  

This latest brief, part of the FAO Investment Centre’s Innovation and Knowledge for Investment (IK4I) series, adds to FAO’s body of work around One Health. This includes two major studies with the World Bank in Asia and the Pacific, published in 2022, on strengthening investments in livestock health and wildlife systems.  

Explore the evidence and case studies: Financial and economic returns of investing in One Health