Climate change, fragmented health systems and shifting global health funding are creating new challenges for preventing diseases that spread between animals and humans, according to a new report by George Washington University’s Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness and CORE Group.

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Source: pexels

The report, Foreign Aid and One Health in a Changing Climate: Where Do We Go From Here?, summarizes a May 27, 2026, discussion among 31 experts and leaders from academia, government, multilateral agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Participants examined how countries can strengthen zoonotic disease prevention and control as climate-related risks intensify and global health financing becomes increasingly constrained.

The discussion focused on One Health, an integrated approach that recognizes the interconnected health of people, animals and the environment. Participants emphasized that effective disease prevention requires coordination across human health, veterinary medicine, agriculture and environmental science rather than relying primarily on responding after outbreaks occur.

Among the report’s key recommendations are:

  • Strengthen integrated surveillance and early warning systems. Connect human, animal and environmental health data with climate and ecological information to identify emerging threats earlier and improve preparedness.
  • Invest in community leadership and frontline workers. Provide training, fair compensation and resources for local health and veterinary workers who serve as critical links between communities and formal health systems.
  • Direct  more sustainable funding toward veterinary and environmental health sectors. Move beyond short-term grant cycles toward financing models that prioritize underfunded sectors and support long-term operations, local priorities and measurable benefits for communities.
  • Improve coordination across sectors and governments. Strengthen national and local One Health platforms and engage health, agriculture, environmental and finance ministries in shared planning and investment.
  • Prioritize prevention before outbreaks occur. Direct greater resources toward reducing disease spillover risks, strengthening primary health and veterinary services, and supporting regional cooperation and information sharing.

One Health resources

The report also points to promising approaches already underway, and provides a resource table for One Health practitioners to apply best practices in zoonotic disease prevention. Some examples highlighted include: 

  • In Kenya, County One Health Units help coordinate disease detection and response at the local level; and the “Kimormor” model integrates livestock health services with maternal and child health care for nomadic pastoralist communities in Turkana, demonstrating how services designed around local needs can strengthen community trust and improve access to care.
  • In India, a One Health community surveillance system in Odisha collects local information on risk factors, disease transmission, and prevalence of zoonotic diseases to inform tailored awareness messages and animal vaccination campaigns. 

Ultimately, the report argues that strengthening One Health systems is not simply a matter of responding to public health emergencies. It is also an investment in economic resilience, sustainable development, and the protection of vulnerable communities.

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