Experts call for 'One Health' approach to address health challenges
Summary
Experts in Nepal advocate a 'One Health' approach integrating human, animal, and environmental health to tackle emerging public health challenges amid shifting disease patterns and premature mortality.
Key Points
- Nepal has seen an increase in life expectancy from 58.1 years in 1990 to 73.5 years in 2023, but healthy life expectancy has not kept pace, resulting in more years lived with illness.
- Non-communicable diseases account for around 70% of deaths in Nepal, overtaking infectious diseases as the primary cause of mortality.
- Up to 80% of health outcomes are driven by factors outside healthcare services, such as air pollution, tobacco use, and poor diet.
- A coordinated 'One Health' approach linking health, agriculture, environment, and education sectors is essential to addressing Nepal's evolving public health challenges.
