Legal preparedness for One Health: evolving legal and institutional frameworks for improved global health security

Faced with major global health challenges including antimicrobial resistance, emerging infectious diseases, climate change, degradation of ecological systems, loss of biodiversity and food safety risks, the world is progressively moving towards embracing the One Health approach. The use of appropriate legal frameworks can translate One Health goals into reality and legal preparedness stands centre and forefront to ensure that law provides the necessary basis for One Health operationalisation. Indeed, to successfully implement the One Health approach it is important that appropriate legal frameworks are in place to govern structural changes; support the development of multisectoral infrastructures; establish linkages among relevant sectors and facilitate their coordination; regulate integrated processes and working methods. This paper examines the legal potential of a One Health approach for laws and policies to be applied to major global health challenges. It focuses on the relevance of One Health legal preparedness for better global health security and on the contribution provided by the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Legal Preparedness Action Package through the work of its One Health Sub-working group.