ONE HEALTH APPROACH: LEGAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES
ONE HEALTH APPROACH: LEGAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES

Summary/Abstract: The One Health approach emphasizes the interconnectedness and interdependence between human, animal, and environmental health. It represents an integrated and unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. This concept, introduced at the beginning of the 2000s, has gained prominence over the past decade, particularly following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The relevance of the One Health approach is particularly evident in the prevention of zoonotic diseases—infectious diseases that are transmissible between vertebrates and humans. The COVID-19 pandemic, widely believed to have originated from zoonotic sources, has underscored the critical need for collaborative and interdisciplinary strategies in preventing and controlling such diseases. However, the application of the One Health approach in managing zoonotic diseases does not necessarily mean respecting the moral status of animals, and mutual benefit of such measures is not always evident (these measures are consistent with the anthropocentric approach and instrumental treatment of animals). Nevertheless, the One Health concept can be interpreted through a broader ethical lens, emphasizing the need to acknowledge and respect the intrinsic moral value of non-human animals and the environment. This paper deals with the place of the One Health approach within the framework of global health law and its integration into national strategies. Special attention will be paid to the application of the One Health concept in the draft of the Pandemic Treaty developed by WHO. The paper will also consider the possibility of incorporating the concept of One Health in the legal system of Bosnia and Herzegovina (its entities: the Republic of Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina).

• Details
• Contents