For more than a decade, the global community has increasingly embraced the One Health approach—the recognition that human, animal, plant, and environmental health are deeply interconnected. Governments have developed national One Health strategies, international organisations have built coordination platforms, and researchers continue to expand our understanding of complex health systems.

This progress is significant. But across many countries, a practical question continues to emerge:

How do we translate One Health policies into sustained action on the ground?

Many One Health initiatives today rely heavily on projects and external funding. While these efforts produce important results, sustaining impact after project cycles end can be challenging. The frontline actors who actually deliver many One Health outcomes—veterinarians, doctors, plant health advisors, veterinary paraprofessionals, community health workers, agro-vet retailers, sanitation providers, and environmental service enterprises—often operate within local economies. Yet they are rarely considered within One Health policies as economic actors whose work must also be financially sustainable.

This gap has led us to explore a complementary idea we call One Healthpreneurship.

What is One Healthpreneurship?

One Healthpreneurship is the integration of entrepreneurship and enterprise thinking into the implementation of One Health solutions.

In simple terms, it asks a practical question:

What if the services that deliver One Health outcomes could also operate through sustainable business models?

Rather than viewing entrepreneurship as something external to public health systems, One Healthpreneurship recognizes that markets, livelihoods, and incentives can reinforce health outcomes when designed carefully.

For example:

• Veterinary service enterprises can improve animal health, disease surveillance, and antimicrobial stewardship.
• Plant health advisory services can strengthen food security and environmental sustainability.
• Waste management and sanitation enterprises can reduce environmental and public health risks.
• Digital platforms can link data, service providers, and communities across sectors.

When these models are viable economically, they can continue delivering health benefits long after projects end.

Why Entrepreneurship Matters for One Health

One Health challenges—such as zoonotic disease, food safety, antimicrobial resistance, and ecosystem degradation—are complex and interconnected. Addressing them requires more than technical solutions alone. It also requires delivery systems that can reach communities consistently and sustainably.

Entrepreneurial models can contribute by:

• Creating local ownership of solutions
• Aligning health outcomes with livelihoods and economic incentives
• Expanding last-mile service delivery
• Complementing the leadership role of governments and public institutions

Importantly, this is not about replacing public systems or privatizing health responsibilities. Governments remain essential stewards, regulators, and coordinators of One Health systems. Entrepreneurship simply adds another mechanism for translating policy into durable, real-world impact.

From Concept to Practice

At the One Health Enterprise Hub, we are exploring how entrepreneurship can strengthen One Health implementation through:

• Research and thought leadership on One Healthpreneurship
• Practical tools, including the One Health Business Model Canvas
• Training and innovation programs for emerging One Health entrepreneurs
• Partnerships with governments, universities, and development organisations

Our goal is to help bridge an important gap: moving One Health from a powerful concept and policy framework to sustainable action embedded in communities and markets.

A Growing Conversation

Around the world, more practitioners are beginning to recognize that health systems and economic systems are closely linked. By bringing entrepreneurship into the One Health conversation, we hope to contribute to a new generation of solutions—solutions that are scientifically sound, socially inclusive, and economically sustainable.

The journey of One Healthpreneurship is only beginning. We invite researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and development partners to explore this emerging field with us and to collaborate in shaping practical pathways for implementing One Health at scale