One Health ethics: Eleven years later

Abstract

Background: One Health ethics is a relatively new field. Its origins date back to 2015, when scholars began debating the ethical issues related to One Health research and practice following an increase in zoonotic disease outbreaks at the beginning of the current century. The aim of this review is to identify and appraise the key themes that have emerged in One Health ethics literature in the last 11 years and to make recommendations on how One Health ethics can be strengthened as an academic field. Methods : The review employs historical and philosophical method to trace the origins and development of One Health ethics and to analyze the concepts, themes and perspectives that have dominated and shaped this nascent field. Results : Among the recurring themes identified are the normative nature of One Health ethics itself, anthropocentrism, culling of healthy animals as a zoonotic disease control measure, the neglect of Indigenous knowledge in current One Health research and practice, and antimicrobial resistance as a typical One Health problem requiring ethical stewardship. Additionally, the review revealed that most One Health ethics publications are scattered across different academic journals whose primary scope is not One Health ethics. Conclusion : The review concludes by recommending the establishment of One Health ethics academic programmes to help entrench ethics in One Health research and practice. It also calls for the establishment of One Health ethics journals to serve as platforms for the exchange of ideas among ethicists in this emerging field. This will no doubt help solidify One Health ethics as a respectable academic discipline.