Animal health workers are solution to global health challenges

As the world marks World Health Day (7 April 2026), attention once again turns to the resilience of our global health. 

One thing remains overlooked: the people working at the intersection of animal, human and environmental health.

From rural villages to bustling urban markets, animal health workers are safeguarding not just animals, but public health itself. They sit at the heart of the “One Health” approach - recognising that the health of people is deeply connected with the health of animals and the ecosystems we share.  

Despite this, they are too often missing from policy discussions, under-resourced in practice and undervalued in health strategies. 

This blind spot is no longer acceptable. 

Recent years have made one fact clear: most emerging infectious diseases in humans come from the way we treat animals. Strengthening animal health systems is a frontline defence against future pandemics.  

Animal health workers are often the first to detect unusual illness patterns, acting as an early warning system for zoonotic disease outbreaks - the spread of disease from animals to humans. 

When equipped with the right tools, training and support, they can identify and contain threats before they spill over to people.

But their impact does not stop there. 

Antimicrobial resistance - one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time - is also deeply tied to animal health. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in animals continues to increase the spread of resistant pathogens. 

Animal health workers play a vital role in promoting responsible use, advising communities on how to prevent illness in the first place, and ensuring that treatments are both appropriate and effective.

Investing in them is essential, not just for animal welfare, but for preserving life-saving medicines. 

In places like Senegal and South Sudan, veterinarians and community-based animal health workers are bridging critical gaps. Despite healthcare resources being limited, they provide services that sustain both animals and the communities who depend on them. 

Their work embodies the One Health principle in action: healthier animals lead to healthier people and more resilient environments. But these workers aren’t included in global health investment.  

This must change. As global leaders gather at the One Health Summit this World Health Day, there is growing momentum to rethink how health systems are designed and funded. But this must be matched with action. 

That means integrating animal health more fully into health strategies, expanding training and surveillance networks and recognising animal health workers as essential to pandemic prevention and preparedness. 

Brooke's Animal Health Mentoring Framework includes a list of essential skills and resources required for animal health practitioners to deliver high-quality animal health services. 

Carried out in Senegal, Kenya, Ethiopia, India and Pakistan, it promotes the skills required to identify the signs of illness and disease and prevent them.  

We support better access to veterinary medicines and vaccines – creating the first ever Global Essential Veterinary Medicines List for Food Producing Animals in collaboration with the World Veterinary Association. 

This is helping to prevent pandemics and reduces the threat of antimicrobial resistance.  

World Health Day is an opportunity not just to celebrate progress, but to confront what needs to change. 

If we are serious about preventing the next pandemic, tackling antimicrobial resistance and building truly strong health systems, we cannot afford to ignore the animal health workforce any longer. 

The frontline is broader than we think. It’s time our policies reflected that reality.