About One Health

One Health identifies that human health is associated with animal health and the environment they live in. Via a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration, each Health Professional shares their scientific knowledge nationally and globally, aiming to protect all living organisms on the planet. Scientists of various specialties, Doctors, Veterinarians, Biologists, Agronomists, Pharmacists, Dentists, Food Technologists, and others, develop their knowledge and skills, adopting specific strategies, through which the enhancement of physical and mental human health is accomplished, in addition to the protection of their natural environment, with which they are inextricably linked, aiming to improve Public Health at all levels, with less time and less cost required. International Organizations, Universities, Institutes, the European Union, the World Health Organization, support One Health, taking action for all of us.

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Asclepius One Health

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“Asclepius – One Health” was founded in April 2019.
In summary the basic purposes of “Asclepius-One Health” are:
-The development, spread and application of the rationale of One Health, in Greece and in the rest of the world, according to the definition that attribute the World Health Organization, the European Community and the rest Ιinternational Agencies and based on the admission that human health is inseparable from animals’ health and the balance of the environment, so every strategy of development and protection of Public Health should confront the above sectors as a single set.
-The conversion and evolution of “Asclepius- One Health” to a pouch of Development, Research and Technology, that aim to the transmission of technology and of the know-how in Greece and in the rest of the world, within the achievement of a powerful Sustainable Development.
Alongside, “Asclepius One Health” looks forward to the constant update of the Greek and the international public opinion and also to the implementation of educational activities towards this direction.
-The cooperation with academic and research institutions, in national and international level, and all its actions, are looking forward to the safety and development of Public Health, to the treatment of the Climate and Food crisis, to the protection of the environment, by emphasizing in the timely actions.
-The creation of a Strategic Agenda of innovation about the One Health
-The improvement of the sustainability in the Agri-food sector.
-Coordinated actions with National and Global agencies, Non Profit Organizations, the State and generally agencies that represent in general the civil society, for the substantial promotion of One Health.

Our History

Which are the historical origins of One Health served by Asclepius – One Health?

According to a common interpretation of the term which nowadays is taught in most universities, One Health is defined as the collaborative (multidisciplinary) contribution and concurrence of different disciplines that meet the goal of optimal human and animal health while defending the natural environment and its balance.

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  • It is known that the term was first used by Professor James in 1947, who was back then the founder and head of the Department of Veterinary Public Health and the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) of the U.S.
  • Professor Steele researched data for many years and concluded that human health is not independent of animal health and environmental changes. The invention and subsequent prevalence of the term “One Health” is attributed to Professor Steele and it is identified as his deposit in thousands of works and dissertations.
  • Nevertheless, scientific and historical research in recent decades have led to the conclusion that the primary reference to One Health has its roots far back in time, back to the father of Modern Medicine, Hippocrates, who was born in the Greek Island of Kos in 460 BC, and was the founder of Rational Medicine. Hippocrates was the one who identified the original idea that human health is affected by the quality of the environment, being (actually) dependent on it.
  • Many centuries had passed until Hippocrates’ findings were incorporated into the scientific research and constituted a starting point for new knowledge to be obtained.
  • In the middle of 19th century, German scientist, physician, anthropologist and biologist, Rudolf Virchow, was the first to refer to the term “animal – human disease” in order to describe the unknown and undocumented transmission of diseases from animals to humans at that time and the need to connect Medicine to Veterinary Science to intercept mutual threats.
  • In 1947, Professor James Steele’s initiative broke new grounds for One Health, as it formed the modern basis to understand the epidemiological dimension of zoonoses in humans.
  • Ever since, additionally occasioned by the emergence of new diseases, One Health is constantly gaining ground. On April 7th 2003, the world known newspaper Washington Post referred to Professor William Karesh’s saying, on the occasion of the Ebola virus’ existence, that “human and animal health cannot be considered individually. There is only one health”.
  • However, the bird flu virus also moved the governments to take action. The US and China had been aware of the threat of a pandemic and with the cooperation of the World Health Institutions they initiated policies that serve the concept (idea) and the scientific essence of One Health.
  • In 2008, the US established and consolidated One Health into its Public Health policies, followed by many European countries. The equalization effect of zoonoses on Public Health systems is increasingly recognized worldwide. Hundreds of scientific studies refer to contagious diseases that begin by the triptych animals – environment – humans and to the obvious need for a multidisciplinary approach to prevention, timely intervention and the development of the necessary corresponding policies.
  • Since 2011, a wide range of scientific meetings has been taking place all over the world in order to timely identify threats that could potentially evolve into pandemics, threatening Public Health.
  • In 2016, One Health Platform Foundation, One Health Commission and One Health Initiative pro bono Team partnered to establish the 3rd of November of each year as the “One Health Day” worldwide.

In April 2019, “Asclepius – One Health” was finally established in Greece, with the contribution of many, well known, scientists, with the primary goal and mission of its statute being “the development, dissemination and implementation of the principles of One Health and anything in general that’s correlated with Health in Greece and the rest of the world, according to the definition that is outlined by the World Health Organization, the European Union and the other International Organizations”.