One Health is the premise that animal health, human health, and environmental health are inextricably linked, and everyone benefits from collaboration between these fields. One Health is the integrative effort of multiple disciplines to achieve optimal health for people, animals, and the environment.

In 2007, the AVMA Executive Board established the One Health Initiative Task Force to define One Health and provide recommendations and strategic actions that would support and expand the concept of One Health across the health professions. For more information read the One Health Initiative Task Force Final Report.

That same year, the American Medical Association House of Delegates unanimously approved a resolution in support of One Health.

In 2016, the IVMA Board of Directors amended the IVMA Mission Statement to include the promotion of One Health collaboration. The IVMA core principals have always included many One Health topics; the addition of One Health to the mission statement summarizes and emphasizes IVMA’s long-term commitment to One Health. Later that year, the Idaho Medical Association passed a resolution in support of One Health.

The IVMA Board of Directors created the IVMA One Health Committee in 2017 to focus on One Health collaboration in the state of Idaho. While One Health has the potential to involve innumerable subjects, the IVMA One Health Committee has chosen to focus on these topics to start: infectious and zoonotic disease, antimicrobial stewardship, and continuing education.