What is One Health, and How Does it Impact You?

One Health is a global, collaborative goal that seeks to understand how everything in our world is connected to each other.

One Health as a multi-sectoral and trans-disciplinary approach of achieving optimal health amongst all living things on earth – that the health of people is closely related to the health of animals and plants, and how we share our environment and ecosystems. It’s about co-dependency and a study of how all of these systems are all dependent upon each other and how one affects another.

Will Sander, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, Assistant Professor for Preventative Medicine and Public Health, and Director of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health Joint Degree program at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine - Urbana, is interviewed by Debbie Lakamp, CAE, ISVMA’s Executive Director.

Dr. Sander has been involved with the One Health initiative for years and is working on Illinois state-wide and federal levels in promoting dialogue and study about this movement. He works closely with other veterinary and human public health colleagues to increase the core principles of One Health, along with the challenges and future perspectives in which it faces.

Dr. Sander serves on the ISVMA Board of Directors as the Alternate American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Delegate.