At COP29 in Baku, Prof. Tony Holohan advocated for the One Health approach, emphasising the interconnectedness of human, animal, plant, and environmental health. He highlighted Ireland’s progress, the One Health Centre’s collaborative research, and call for cross-sectoral partnerships to address global challenges like antimicrobial resistance and climate emergency.
See below his full address to the audience in attendance.
Prof Tony Holohan. Director, One Health Centre, addressing COP29 Baku Azerbaijan. 19th November 2024.
''It is an honour to address you today on One Health at this important moment for our planet and all its inhabitants. I want to begin by expressing my gratitude for the invitation to do so.
I was Chief Medical Officer for Ireland for 14 years from 2008 to 2022. I led the public health response to COVID-19 in Ireland. Since July 2022 I have been an Adjunct Full Professor of Public Heath in University College Dublin and took up the role of Director of the One Health Centre which we established in February 2024.
In 2015 UCD underwent a reorganisation along One Health principles to create a single College of Health and Agricultural Sciences within the University by bringing together the schools of medicine, veterinary medicine, nursing, agricultural studies and public health under one umbrella. The One Health Centre is based in this College. It was designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre on One Health at the Regional Committee meeting of the WHO in Copenhagen on 30 October 2024- an achievement of which we are proud.
We live in a world where unsustainable GDP growth is celebrated while health and social systems struggle, inequalities deepen, discrimination and conflict persist, the planets resources dwindle, and we edge closer to climate disaster. Short-term profits are prioritised over long-term survival. Our current system rewards economic gain for the few, disregarding the wellbeing of the many. Yet, the purpose of the economy should be to serve our wellbeing and not the other way around.
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed vulnerabilities in our societies and economies. While the virus was the immediate cause, it was inequality- housing, employment, opportunity, underlying illness, age etc.- that determined most severe outcomes and deaths. These systemic weaknesses leave societies exposed not only to health crises but also to economic and environmental shocks.
The pandemic has shown us that our world is fragile and that our systems are not as resilient as we might have believed. But it has also shown us the power of collective action, the importance of community, and the value of solidarity.
The main message of the Monti Commission set up by the Regional Director of the WHO European Region, Dr Hans Kluge in the wake of the pandemic, is that health must be viewed as central to economic and social well-being- not as a cost but as an investment in society. It identified the importance of addressing the determinants of health by incorporating One Health into all aspects of policy.
One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal, plant and environmental health. One Health is a good example of how global frameworks require cross-sectoral collaboration, yet most governments are organised into silos, with limited coordination and collaboration in effective implementation. One Health aims to prevent and mitigate health threats that cross boundaries by addressing these domains together, rather than in isolation —such as pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, and the climate emergency.
Globally, efforts to advance One Health have been strengthened by collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)—collectively known as the Quadripartite. The One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) was established to guide these efforts, focusing on integrating human, animal, and environmental health responses. In 2022, the Quadripartite published a One Health Joint Plan of Action, and in 2023, they released an implementation guide to help countries put One Health into practice.
The implementation gap often arises at the country level with the result that global commitments are not translated into effective national policies and actions. If we are to close this implementation gap, governance must emphasise accountability, transparency, and genuine partnership. We need to empower citizens to hold government and leadership to account and we need to strengthen international institutions to enforce these commitments.
Ireland has made significant strides in advancing the concept of One Health. In 2017 my colleague Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Martin Blake and I, set up and co-chaired the consultative forum on a One Health approach to antimicrobial resistance. It brought together key stakeholders from public health, veterinary medicine, agriculture, and the environment to develop a cohesive, cross-sectoral strategy to address the urgent challenge of AMR.
It oversaw the development of a national action plan which is called iNAP from 2017 to 2020 which was approved by government. It focused on raising awareness, improving antimicrobial stewardship, enhancing surveillance, and strengthening infection prevention measures. We produced a national integrated One Health surveillance report on Antimicrobial Resistance which was modelled on the work of DANMAP in Denmark.
In 2019, an external independent evaluation was conducted by the European Centres for Disease Control. Its recommendations were incorporated into a second three-year action plan iNAP2 in 2021 and that has shown important reductions in use of antibiotics in agricultural and veterinary practice in Ireland.
In the UCD One Health Centre, our vision is broad and horizontal, cutting across multiple disciplines and sectors. We are committed to collaboration and innovation, ensuring that the health of people, animals, and ecosystems is approached as one holistic system of systems.
We see the One Health Centre at UCD as a hub for cutting-edge research that leads to action, teaching that creates real insight, and recommendations that transform policy. We will take a systems approach which can integrate new and diverse perspectives by enhancing the knowledge and skills for effective collaboration. We will break down traditional silos through governance methods and tools which seek out and respect the involvement of others. We will reach out to civil society to build “One Health Literacy” and “One Health Agency”, and we will develop evidence-based tools and capability that address the root causes and impacts of global health challenges. In this way, we will work with governments, organisations public and private, practitioners as well as civil society.
Our initial focus will be to turn the six lines of action outlined in the recently published WHO One Health Adaptation Guide into practical, impactful outcomes. A significant part of our work will involve advancing workforce development through the creation of learning courses, workshops, and modules that will build the capacity of the next generation of One Health practitioners. This is in line with the WHO's focus on promoting a sustainable health workforce, and our centre is proud to take a lead in this area.
But we know that these challenges cannot be addressed in isolation. Tackling issues like zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental degradation requires strong partnerships and collaboration across sectors and geographies. I invite all of you to join us on this journey. We are eager to engage with policymakers, researchers, healthcare professionals, and industry leaders to drive forward the One Health agenda.
As I close, I want to reiterate how honoured we in UCD are to have this opportunity. The One Health Centre at UCD is not just a building or a research institution—it is our commitment to a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable world. Let us all embrace the power of One Health as our shared responsibility and our pathway towards a healthier, more resilient, and sustainable future for all living beings on our planet and for the planet itself.
Thank you.''