Beyond Aid: Why One Health Is the Future of Global Health Financing
Gabrielle Laing is Senior One Health Policy Advisor at Unlimit Health
In an era of shrinking overseas development assistance (ODA), global health programmes confront unprecedented funding gaps. These shifts in donor priorities and continuing economic uncertainty do not suggest this will be a temporary situation, so the question is not just how to fund essential services—but how to fund them sustainably with still limited resources. One answer may lie in a concept that’s been gaining traction across countries and health sectors: the One Health approach.
One Health may sound like a relatively new concept, some may even say a buzzword, but in reality, it’s just about approaching things by looking at the big picture, applying common sense and not downplaying the complexity of the world we live in. One Health is about taking a systems-based approach that recognises our daily interaction with animals and our environment and the interconnectedness of realizing good human, animal, and environmental health. By taking in the whole picture (the ‘system’), it can help us identify and tackle the root causes of poor health, achieving more effective and sustainable interventions. When we are always trying our best to do more with less in global health, then this seems like an obvious path to explore.
Prevention over Cure: A Smarter Investment Strategy
Historically, health financing has been reactive – mobilised in response to outbreaks rather than invested in prevention. But as the World Bank and others have noted, prevention of pandemics, through One Health approaches is not only more effective -it’s significantly more cost-efficient.
Take the recent report from Africa CDC, Africa’s Health Financing in a New Era, which found that ‘utilising integrated One Health costing tools could save up to $2.4 billion annually in response costs across Africa.’
By identifying and addressing root causes of disease at the human-animal-environment interface, One Health helps prevent upstream transmission. This means fewer outbreaks, lower response costs, and improved health outcomes across species.
Breaking Down Silos: The Case for Integrated Financing
One of the biggest barriers to implementing One Health is the way we fund health systems. Budgets are often siloed within ministries—human health, agriculture, environment—making it difficult to mobilise resources for cross-sector interventions.
Consider rabies control. Vaccinating dogs is far more cost-effective and humane than waiting for human cases to emerge. Yet funding often sits with the Ministry of Health, which may not have the mandate or capacity to act on animal health.
The solution? Coordinating platforms that sit above individual ministries—like the One Health platforms established in many countries now. These bodies can convene stakeholders, develop joint budgets, and identify where the most cost-effective action can be taken, regardless of sector.
Why Now?
The urgency is clear. According to the World Bank (2023), external financing constitutes nearly 30% of total health expenditures in low-income African countries, underscoring the region’s dependence on donor support.
As global aid contracts, countries must find ways to stretch limited and domestic resources. One Health offers a pathway to efficiency and resilience—addressing disease drivers before they escalate, reducing welfare harms, productivity losses, and building systems that serve the health of people and the ecosystems which we rely on.
And, unlike some of the more high-tech solutions, One Health is accessible and scalable. As international partners, we at Unlimit Health are supporting governments to implement One Health ways of working using the 4C’s of better cross-sector Communication, Coordination and Collaboration, while recognising the need for workforce Capacity to deliver on these. With the right enabling environment and a capable workforce, One Health approaches can help to build stronger [one] health systems, reaping the rewards of integrated approaches quickly and sustainably.
© Unlimit Health/Indrias G. Kassaye
Building Capacity for Integration
Of course, integration doesn’t come for free. After decades of siloed working and specialised disciplines, a shift in workforce competency is needed. This means:
- Establishing One Health focal points across departments who have the mandate to lead this shift to cross-sector working
- Adopting systems thinking and the 4C’s requires new governance mechanisms
- Training individuals to be both competent in technical detail and strategic overview, don’t underestimate the importance of ‘soft skills’ to deliver on the 4C’s
It’s not just about creating a new One Health silo—it’s about embedding a mindset and approach in policy and health interventions that reflects the complexity of real-world challenges.
The UN Quadripartite alliance (WHO, FAO, WOAH, UNEP) is already developing the evidence base for the return on investment (ROI) for One Health interventions. This will help governments and donors justify long-term funding commitments and prioritise integrated approaches.
UK Thought Leadership and the Path Forward
The UK has an opportunity to lead in this space. The Quadripartite ROI Community of Practice was funded with UK International Development money and DEFRA runs the STAR-IDAZ network of animal health funders, and recent workshops on One Health financing mechanisms show growing interest in practical implementation of the approach.
As AfGH prepare for a campaign on “Beyond Aid” this November, the message is clear: One Health is not just a technical solution—it’s a strategic imperative. It offers a way to optimise resources, improve outcomes, and build health systems that are fit for the future.