press release
Published: 20 March 2025

Expert opinion piece: One Health, One Medicine

Professor Kamalan Jeevaratnam, Head of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey on why we should advocate for an interdisciplinary approach when teaching Veterinary Medicine 

The One Health, One Medicine interdisciplinary approach, which we implement at the University of Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine, emphasises the interconnectedness between human, animal, and environmental health. It advocates for a collaborative and multidisciplinary effort among human healthcare professionals, veterinarians, environmentalists, scientists and policymakers to address complex health challenges.

This integrated approach is crucial in tackling both infectious and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), as well as ensuring sustainable health solutions for all. As global health challenges evolve, this framework is increasingly applied to NCDs, which remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory illnesses, and cancer, are significantly influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors. More recently, the convergence of infectious disease with new onset NCD has demonstrated the immunological interplay between these conditions and the need to study these conditions not in isolation.

The School of Veterinary Medicine plays a vital role in advancing the One Health One Medicine approach by contributing to interdisciplinary research in infectious and non-communicable diseases. Our work is funded by organisations such as the Medical Research Council, the British Heart Foundation, the Academy of Medical Sciences and the National Institute of Health Research, demonstrating our strength in human medical sciences research.

Additionally, by integrating One Health, One Medicine principles into veterinary curricula, our students gain an understanding and appreciation of how animal, human, and environmental health intersect. Training involves public health, antimicrobial resistance, epidemiology, conservation, environmental sciences, human factors and sustainable farming practices to address health risks more effectively.

As a school, we also collaborate with governments and health organisations to develop policies that will benefit humans, animals and the environment. The School of Veterinary Medicine serves as a critical hub for research, education, and policy development, directly contributing to the understanding and prevention of both infectious and NCDs.

By fostering multistakeholder collaborations, veterinary institutions can help drive sustainable health solutions that benefit humans, animals, and the planet. Professor Kamalan Jeevaratnam, Head of School of Veterinary Medicine, Professor in Clinical Physiology

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