ONE Medicine
for humans and animals
Learn about ONE Medicine
What is ONE Medicine?
One Medicine is the concept whereby human and animal healthcare advance hand in hand with vets, doctors and researchers collaborating to ensure that all humans and animals benefit from equal and sustainable medical progress but not at the expense of an animal’s life.
Technological advances in the diagnosis and analysis of naturally occurring disease mean that for the first time in history the end point of the study of disease does not need to involve the death of an animal.
One Medicine supports learning from the treatment of naturally occurring disease, helping those who need help rather than the use of experimental models. Patients do not undergo any extra tests or procedures, rather, responses to treatment are collated and samples can be retained for subsequent research.
By sharing non-animal research techniques and technologies developed to support human medical progress animal patients can benefit too, and Humanimal Trust believes and advocates that this approach will lead to progressively fewer laboratory animal tests until one day they become obsolete.
Why Don't Human and Animal Medicine Work Together?
As far back as Aristotle in Ancient Greece, convergence between human and animal physiology was a normal part of science. Divergence began in the nineteenth century but an increasing focus on the welfare, rights and conservation of animals in recent times has led to renewed interest.
Current education, policy and funding are not structured to support collaboration between human and veterinary medicine. Humanimal Trust exists to change this, to ensure medical progress is made equally and sustainably for humans and animals moving forward.
We believe that the world would be fairer and more respectful for humans and animals if One Medicine were more widely understood and delivered.
Why does it matter that Human and Veterinary Medicine work together?
Humans and animals share a lot of their biology and, according to the World Health Organisation, over 60% of all known causes of infectious disease are shared between humans and animals.
Even with experimental therapies, such as for cancer, if we share what we already know from veterinary clinical practice and consensual clinical trials with animals, we have the potential to save the lives of both humans and animals without the need to sacrifice a healthy animal’s life.
Most current laboratory animal testing is for the sole, often arguable benefit of humans and not the animal concerned or its species.
Currently too little is invested in developing treatments for animals. If veterinary clinical trials were linked to human drug development, resources could be saved and treatments developed more quickly for both humans and animals. If non-animal model technologies were developed to help both human and animal patients rather than focusing solely on human health, more lives could benefit, more lives could be saved, more quickly.
A two-way street between human and veterinary medicine is both possible and necessary for humans and animals to benefit equitably from cutting edge advances and to save time, save money and save lives.
How can you help?
With support and information from Humanimal Trust, we believe everyone can contribute to One Medicine, through giving, advocating, learning or educating.
We need your help to make One Medicine a reality.
Find out how you can get involved, see how you can support us in a professional capacity or join the Humanimal Hub, our online forum providing a platform for collaboration amongst human and veterinary medical professionals.
You can also download a copy of our booklet, 'The Science Behind One Medicine'.
Get involved
To find out more about volunteering with Humanimal Trust, please see our Volunteering page.
Donate online
Make a donation today to show your support and to help us achieve our mission for One Medicine for Humans and Animals