Mission-Oriented Policy: Unlocking the Global Potential of WHO’s One Health Framework
The WHO’s One Health framework links human, animal and environmental health but suffers from slow, fragmented policy delivery. (Source: Fotor AI)
The World Health Organization (WHO)’s One Health framework integrates human, animal, and environmental health, but fragmented implementation has slowed progress. As pandemics, biodiversity loss, and climate crises escalate, a mission-oriented policy approach provides the governance innovation needed to scale One Health from concept to impact.
The Urgency of One Health Integration
Zoonotic diseases cause an estimated 2.5 billion infections and 2.7 million deaths annually, with 75% of emerging infectious diseases originating from animals.
Current policies remain siloed across agriculture, health, and environment ministries, limiting capacity to prevent pandemics and address systemic ecological risks.
Without coherent governance, fragmented initiatives risk duplication, inefficiency, and poor crisis preparedness.
Why Mission-Oriented Policy Matters
Mission-oriented policymaking reframes challenges into “Grand Challenges” with measurable outcomes. Instead of incremental fixes, it enables coordinated strategies across ministries, industries, and regions.
For One Health, a shared Grand Challenge could be:
“Preventing zoonotic pandemics and ecosystem-driven health crises in an age of climate and biodiversity breakdown.”
This provides a centre of gravity for aligning investment, regulatory frameworks, and innovation across health, agriculture, and environmental sectors.
Global Case Studies: Policy in Action
United States – USAID PREDICT Project
Built cross-sectoral early-warning systems across viral hotspots, demonstrating how integrated surveillance and data-sharing can identify threats before they spread.
European Union – AGROMIX Pilot Projects
A network of 12 agroecology and agroforestry pilots across Europe that link biodiversity conservation with sustainable farming—an example of regenerative practices embedded in policy.
Rwanda – National One Health Strategic Plan
An African model that integrates human health, veterinary services, and environmental governance, showing how mission-driven strategy can operate in resource-limited settings.
These examples illustrate how mission-oriented projects not only achieve technical outcomes but also build institutional capacity and public legitimacy.
Strategic Implications for Policy and Markets
Adopting a mission-oriented approach to One Health carries both governance and market advantages. Cross-sectoral efficiency reduces duplication and allows countries to pool resources for shared infrastructure such as interoperable data systems. At the same time, it stimulates innovation in fields ranging from AI health monitoring and biosecurity tools to regenerative agriculture and sustainable food systems. By aligning public policy with these missions, governments create the conditions for private-sector investment and international collaboration, strengthening resilience against both health and ecological crises.
Policy Trend Outlook
Asia-Pacific: Governments such as China and India are embedding One Health principles into national agricultural and biosecurity strategies, creating opportunities for scalable pilot programs.
Europe: The EU’s Farm-to-Fork Strategy aligns with One Health by integrating food safety, sustainability, and health outcomes.
Africa: Countries such as Kenya and Rwanda are pioneering cross-ministerial One Health task forces, offering replicable models for emerging economies.
The trend is clear: mission-oriented governance is emerging as a key driver for transforming One Health into a practical, scalable policy framework.
The Way Forward
If the One Health framework is to deliver on its promise, it must be anchored in mission-oriented policy design. This means governments committing to bold, measurable missions—such as developing global zoonotic early-warning systems or transitioning a third of high-risk agricultural systems to regenerative models within the next decade. Only then can One Health evolve from a fragmented policy tool into a transformative framework that safeguards both human health and planetary stability.
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