The WHO Regions for Health Network (RHN), in collaboration with the WHO European Healthy Cities Network, is hosting a webinar developed to help subnational authorities to turn One Health principles into practical multisectoral action. Participants will gain concrete tools, actionable insights and real-world examples of how One Health approaches are being successfully implemented at the regional and city level – strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration and supporting evidence-based decision-making.
Climate change, biodiversity loss, antimicrobial resistance and mounting pressure on food systems are no longer distant global concerns – they are reshaping health outcomes in communities, cities and regions right now. WHO defines One Health as an integrated approach that sustainably balances the health of people, animals and ecosystems, recognizing them not as separate domains, but as deeply interconnected ones.
Regions and cities are at the critical intersection of global frameworks and local realities, uniquely placed to bridge public health, environmental management, agriculture and urban planning. However, operationalizing this vision remains a genuine challenge: governance structures, workforce capacity and cross-sectoral monitoring systems often fail to keep pace with policy ambitions. This webinar is designed to close that gap.
Objectives
The webinar will aim to:
- clarify the concept of One Health in the context of subnational policies;
- present concrete examples of One Health implementation from regions and cities in Europe and the United States; and
- facilitate knowledge exchange among RHN and Healthy Cities Network members and international experts.
Expected outputs
Participants can expect to gain an enhanced understanding of One Health operationalization at the subnational level, access to case examples and best practices, and insights into key challenges and solutions for regional implementation. Potential follow-up activities include an RHN policy brief on One Health in regions and thematic peer-learning sessions or working groups.
This webinar is open to RHN and Healthy Cities Network members, subnational public health and environmental health professionals, researchers and practitioners working on One Health and sustainability, and representatives of international organizations and development agencies.
For further information, please contact the RHN Secretariat: eurorhn@who.int.