On 16 October One Health enthusiasts gathered at the RIVM where Arjan van de Giessen of the opened the environmental Science Café, emphasizing the importance of addressing zoonotic diseases.

He highlighted the Q-fever outbreak as a pivotal moment that underscored the necessity of early warning systems. This led to the establishment of an integrated human-veterinary risk analysis structure for zoonoses in 2011, where experts from various fields meet monthly to discuss and escalate signals as needed. Arjan envisioned this model as a blueprint for Europe, advocating for stronger One Health collaborations across the continent, including environmental health, to truly embody the One Health concept. He concluded with a call to action: “Let’s work together.”

Update from the board

The Chair of the NCOH Executive Board Annemarie Rebel then took the stage to explain why the Netherlands needs the NCOH. She pointed out that the NCOH aims to create durable solutions through a One Health approach, focusing on the four central themes: Smart and Healthy Farming, Emerging Infectious Diseases Preparedness, Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance, and Healthy Wildlife & Ecosystems. By bridging these themes and connecting knowledge, people, and expertise, the NCOH remains crucial as new challenges continuously emerge. Annemarie stressed the importance of working at the intersections of animal, human, and environmental health, leveraging the NCOH’s extensive network to adopt a system approach. She mentioned that at the brainstorming session in June the attendees talked about future goals. And reminding everyone that humans, while not the center, are the only species capable of influencing changes.

One Health goes environmental

During her keynote, Ana Maria de Roda Husman posed the question to the audience: “What is the environment to you?” She discussed the direct effects of climate on infectious diseases and the importance of climate mitigation and adaptation. Ana Maria highlighted the significance of the indoor environment, referencing the COVID-19 pandemic, and expanded on the concept of One Health, which should encompass public, environmental, and animal health. She cited sewage surveillance as a valuable tool for environmental monitoring. Ana Maria urged the development of a global framework to assess the impact of energy transitions, including the role of microplastics and the increasing environmental risks identified by the World Economic Forum. She concluded that when taking a One Health approach environmental considerations must be incorporate more.

One Health and urban greening and blueing

Marieke de Cock discussed what constitutes a healthy living environment. She advocated for urban greening and blueing—nature-based solutions that positively impact human well-being. Marieke emphasized the need to consider both ecosystem services and disservices, understanding how water, wildlife, and vectors are influenced by urban greening. She called for the inclusion of infectious disease risks in the design of healthy living environments and stressed the importance of acknowledging potential risks to take preventive measures.

Local living environments

In her talk, Margriet Melis outlined the aspects of a healthy living environment programme. She described it as one that promotes healthy behavior, is attractive and pleasant, and protects against health risks. Margriet noted that the programme focuses on human health and involves discussions with project developers in municipalities. However, she pointed out that ecologists need to be more included in these conversations. She emphasized the need to consider the benefits of interventions for local situations, weighing societal costs and benefits.