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% 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 Food and Agriculture Organization (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 recognizes 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, health-care costs, environmental contamination and antimicrobial resistance spread.

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