One Health Summit: better health for all life and the planet

As a public development bank, AFD can provide the long-term financing essential to transform health systems, support ecological transition, mobilize other donors, attract private financing, and structure coalitions.

The One Health approach supported by AFD fosters interdisciplinary thinking and collaborative practice, adaptable to various health-related sectors, including:

• Food systems, agroecology,
• Urban development, transport,
• Sustainable management of natural resources, climate change mitigation,
• Water and sanitation, renewable energy.

In these areas, AFD Group has defined priority intervention strategies to better integrate this approach into its projects:

• Integrating surveillance systems for coordinated health monitoring, from early warning to strengthening diagnostic capacity,
• Preserving biodiversity through restoration, expansion and sustainable management of natural spaces (marine and terrestrial),
• Promoting sustainable agricultural practice that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially equitable,
• Preventing, preparing for and responding to health emergencies by strengthening strategic preparedness, early warning and epidemic control capacity,
• Adapting health systems to climate change to anticipate health consequences of climate change and foster sustainable pathways,
• Strengthening laboratories and integrated networks by improving their capacity at the national level and developing regional networks,
• Developing specialized human resources through training programs and awareness-raising activities on One Health challenges for the professionals involved.

April 7 2026 – 09:30-12:30 

Investing in One Health: fostering Public Development Banks investment

In a context of global polycrisis — climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, pandemic risks, and fiscal constraints — investing in integrated and preventive One Health approaches constitutes both a strategic and economic imperative. At a time when international health financing is under pressure, stronger alignment between national priorities and long-term financing is more essential than ever.

Organized by the AFD Group, Finance in Common, and the Coalition for Social Investment, this event aims to strengthen the capacity of Public Development Banks to support nationally defined One Health strategies through coordinated, structured, and sustainable investments.

Recognizing that prevention and resilience rely on cross-sectoral governance and sustained financing, the organizers structure the event around three complementary objectives.

• First, to promote investment by highlighting its economic, environmental, and health value, and to identify how Public Development Banks can increase and structure their commitments through appropriate financial instruments, strategic partnerships, and effective coordination mechanisms.
• Second, to clarify operational modalities by presenting concrete examples and providing a structured overview of priority investments.
• Third, to strengthen accountability and collective learning by fostering dialogue on tagging and tracking approaches, and by defining the foundations of a shared roadmap to progressively align the tracking of One Health financial flows.

Opening and framing of the discussion: “Financing One Health, on the road to the Healthy Planet and Healthy Lives agendas”

The opening session will set the strategic, political, and financial context of the event. It will recall key recommendations emerging from recent dynamics, including the Accra Reset and the conclusions of the 2025 Seville Conference, while analysing current tensions within the global financial architecture, marked by the contraction of international aid.

Discussions will highlight that domestic financing constitutes the central and sustainable foundation of the One Health approach. The session will also provide scientific insights into the close interlinkages between climate, biodiversity, and health, demonstrating why convergence between climate and One Health agendas is essential.

Finally, it will put into perspective the structuring role of Public Development Banks and international actors in accelerating, coordinating, and scaling up investments in support of more resilient systems.

Session 1: Scaling up Public Development Banks’ investment in One Health – How can we better support One Health investments?

This session will analyse how to strengthen Public Development Banks’ engagement in the One Health approach. Discussions will focus on improving concessional financing and on the catalytic role of philanthropy.

Innovative mechanisms — including blended finance, impact bonds, and guarantees — will be examined to amplify health, climate, and biodiversity co-benefits. Particular emphasis will be placed on cooperation between public and pri

Session 2:  Investing in the One Health approach in practice – What does a One Health investment look like, and what should the priority investments be?

This session will aim to concretely clarify what it means to invest in the One Health approach and to identify priority investments. Through operational examples, discussions will highlight the importance of supporting national and regional public institutions, strengthening multisectoral governance, and developing integrated surveillance systems.

The discussion will also address the investments required in biosafety, the sustainable transformation of agri-food systems, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health infrastructure, as well as adaptive social protection mechanisms. The objective will be to draw practical lessons to better guide future large-scale One Health investments.

Session 3: How can One Health financing be better tracked and aligned? What roadmap for Public Development Banks?

This session will review progress in tagging One Health financing. It will examine existing approaches to monitoring and “tagging”, as well as ongoing initiatives aimed at structuring and harmonising methodologies.

Discussions will help identify the conditions required for the emergence of a common framework, fostering transparency, comparability, and alignment of financial flows. The objective will be to define concrete pathways (a roadmap) to strengthen the ability of Public Development Banks to steer, measure, and scale up their investments in support of the transformative agenda for the planet.

Closing remarks and key messages for the high-level segment

Brochure: 

AFD and the One Health approach

Publications: 

How can mutually beneficial economic interactions between transhumant and sedentary populations be promoted in the Sahel?

Evaluation of the Health in Common 2020 Initiative (HIC 2020)