End of the year message from GOHi

In 2020, the world came face to face with a pandemic that severely impacted our daily lives. Unfortunately, changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to surface and impact human and animal health and disrupt our ecosystem, the environment and plant health.

The interface where humans, animals, plants and the environment connect is more intense than ever before, and it will continue to be more intractably interlaced. While we recognize this is an inevitable consequence of the global dynamics, the implementation of the One Health approach has been adopted at a much slower rate than it should have been. The Global One Health paradigm, which has been adopted by The Ohio State University and a few institutes within the United States and around the world, is a proactive approach that allows building institutional capacity to preemptively prepare and prevent the emergence and occurrence of biological and chemical hazards. Such a proactive approach is known to be could save a large number of human lives each year and is cost-effective. 

The world is at a pivotal point. We no longer have time to waste debating the need for a proactive Global One Health approach. Ohio State’s Global One Health initiative, with its valued partners in strategic regions, particularly the developing world, and its committed stakeholders and sponsors that provide financial support, look forward to strengthening and accelerating its high-impact, integrated capacity building approach.

This past year, GOHi pushed new boundaries with its new research and implementation efforts that focused on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key knowledge-sharing activities included the 9th Global One Health Summer Institute and the 2020 Global One Health Day Conference, both which moved to an online format, as well as our online monthly webinar series.

We are committed to see a world with sustained capacity of institutional systems that support and advance health and enduring global community. Thank you for your participation in our efforts and being a valued partner in 2020.

Wishing that everyone remains safe and healthy this holiday season!

This year's publications

• Activity and Impact Report
• Global One Health Summer Institute Brochure
• 2020 Global One Health Day Conference Program