Sustainable healthcare: a human doctor’s call for One Health working

As we emerge from the most significant global health crisis in recent history, the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more critical than ever for veterinarians and doctors to work together. The zoonotic spill over of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans is just one of many recent events where a novel human disease has emerged from human-animal interactions, other notable examples include Mpox, Ebola and Marburg viruses. Zoonotic spill over events are becoming more frequent due to climate change, land-use changes, conflict and biodiversity loss, all of which are driving animals to live in closer proximity to humans.  

For vets and doctors, it may feel that the vast political, economic, and social drivers of these global challenges are beyond our control or not part of our professional remit. But this could not be further from the truth. Now more than ever, there is a pressing need for healthcare professionals to collaborate in addressing these global health issues. By working together, we can strengthen global surveillance systems to detect emerging diseases and enhance outbreak control strategies, building resilience against the next potential pandemic. 

The need for sustainable healthcare 

Beyond preventing and identifying future spill overs, we must also look inward and ensure that our own practices are sustainable. The healthcare sector, including veterinary medicine, accounts for around 5% of global emissions—a figure on par with the aviation or shipping industries. While the environmental impact of flying is often discussed, the carbon footprint of healthcare interventions, whether for humans or animals, rarely receives the same publicity or scrutiny in public discourse. This lack of awareness might stem from the fact that health interventions are seen as essential; we can justify these emissions because healthcare activities treat illnesses, improve well-being and “save lives”. However, this should not absolve healthcare professionals from this responsibility. We have a greater ethical duty to act as unlike other industries we are obligated to “first do no harm”. 

The health impacts of climate change are becoming painfully clear. Extreme heat is responsible for millions of excess deaths each year. Shifting climates are creating more favourable conditions for disease vectors like mosquitoes and ticks, potentially newly exposing billions of people to diseases such as malaria, dengue, West Nile virus and Lyme disease. Flooding and storms are causing devastation worldwide, resulting in considerable loss of life and long-term damage to public infrastructure vital to healthcare provision. The effects of climate change will touch every aspect of human and animal health but will ultimately fall most heavily on the most vulnerable in society—and we have a duty to protect our patients from them. 

Progress in the healthcare sector 

The healthcare sector was slower than industries to embrace sustainability, but the climate crisis is now widely recognised as a health crisis. The NHS has committed to achieving Net Zero by 2045 - a monumental challenge, but a commitment that signals that sustainability should be a priority for healthcare professionals. As a former sustainability consultant, I know that publishing strategies is the easy part, implementing long-lasting and meaningful change is far more difficult. Whether we achieve these goals remains to be seen, but the direction is set. 

Collaboration between vets and doctors has historically been difficult to achieve, but sustainability presents a clear opportunity for partnership. The principles of sustainability are universal across both professions. Surgeries, medications, and waste management processes share similarities whether in human or animal healthcare. By working together, vets and doctors can learn from one another and rapidly reduce our collective environmental impact. 

To conclude 

In this era of interconnected health and environmental challenges, fostering collaboration between the veterinary and medical professions is essential—not only to protect our patients but to safeguard the planet we all share. 

BVA recently launched its new Net zero report, developed in collaboration with Vet Sustain. Find out more.