The One Health Approach

The One Health initiative at University of Porto, led by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), promotes a holistic approach to health that recognizes the interdependence between human, animal, plant, and environmental wellbeing. Anchored in the motto “One School, One Health,” the programme integrates teaching, research, and community engagement to address complex global health challenges through multidisciplinary collaboration. By combining expertise from life sciences, environmental studies, and social sciences, the initiative prepares students and researchers to tackle issues such as pandemics, climate change, and food systems through systemic and collaborative solutions.

In practice, the initiative includes interdisciplinary education and research activities across the university. For example, the One Health Master’s programme, jointly developed by ICBAS and the Faculty of Economics, trains professionals to address environmental, animal, and human health challenges through transdisciplinary methods. The programme also promotes community engagement through its initiatives, which introduces younger students to the links between environmental protection, public health, and animal welfare, and academic events like the One Health PhD Forum, which brings doctoral researchers together to explore integrated health solutions.

For more information: 
Learn more about One Health here
Read about One Health in action here