Collaboration Across Oceans — A Timeless One Health Imperative
One Health Newsletter: Volume 17, Issue 2
his issue of the One Health Newsletter highlights a powerful, dynamic, and consistent theme: the importance of collaboration across oceans in advancing animal, human, and environmental health.
From the correspondence of nineteenth-century pioneers like Robert Koch, George Sternberg, and John Shaw Billings, in Schieferecke and Kastner's article, we learn that collaboration across disciplines and borders is not a new aspiration, but rather a foundational principle of public health. Letters from Koch, Sternberg, and Shaw Billings reveal how ideas, data, and even admiration traveled internationally, shaping early networks of disease control and sanitation.
Fast forward to today, in Neff's article, the National Animal Health Monitoring System continues this legacy by systematically gathering data that connects animal health, agricultural practices, and human well-being. These surveys, though sometimes challenged by funding and logistics, provide an evidence base for policy decisions on food safety, zoonotic disease, and antimicrobial resistance—issues that remain as urgent as ever.
Meanwhile, Haebler's article highlights the international veterinary education programs in Uganda, particularly the partnerships between U.S. veterinary schools and Makerere University, which provide a powerful living example of One Health in action. Through immersive, field-based experiences, students develop practical skills in addressing zoonotic risks while fostering cross-cultural understanding. These opportunities show that One Health is not just theoretical but lives in communities worldwide, preparing the next generation of professionals to think and act on a truly global scale. Throughout history, surveillance and education, one lesson endures: One Health is strongest when partnerships span the globe. By connecting people, ideas, and practices across continents, we build a resilient framework for healthier futures everywhere.
Articles in this Issue
