The One Health approach acknowledges the increasing connection between the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment. It comprehends that humans are not separate entities, but rather a part of the broader living ecosystem. The actions and circumstances of each component can impact others in a variety of ways, including economically, culturally, physically, and beyond.

In order to prevent disease outbreaks, it is important to coordinate efforts across multiple sectors, entailing human, domestic, wildlife, and environmental health. Prevention is always a better approach than control because it proactively avoids the impact of diseases, while some control methods may have negative social or environmental consequences.

The One Health Institute (OHI) works worldwide at the intersection of humans, animals, and the environment to address intricate problems that affect the global human health and the welfare of ecosystems. The OHI has been home to many scientists and educators collaborating through the campus of the School of Science and Technology at the University of Georgia (UG). The OHI was established as part of the School of Science and Technology at the UG in Tbilisi in February 2024. The In Silico Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Proteomics (LFGP) has been the first acting scientific unit of the OHI. The UG has been working actively towards renovating the space and acquiring technical and other resources to establish the second research unit, the Laboratory of Microbial Genetics and Ecology for the OHI. The discussions are underway at the UG for the further research expansion of the OHI to effectively engage both local and global challenges related to food and environmental safety, as well as zoonoses.

OHI’s Global One Health Vision is directed toward joint efforts of its leadership and research teams to tackle complex health problems, existing across different segments of living ecosystems, via the developing and execution of research proposals involving heavy-duty cross-sectional and interdisciplinary studies in the One Health areas. The OHI strives for an active academic partnership and networking with universities, research institutions, public and other organizations as well as governmental entities both nationally and internationally, that are committed to Global One Health approach