In September 2026, five Horizon Europe projects joined forces to launch the One Health Knowledge Exchange Network (One Health KEN) during the Ninth World One Health Congress that took place in Lisbon, Portugal. This new initiative is designed to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange across biodiversity, ecosystem change and health.
At its core is the One Health approach, which recognises the close interconnections between human, animal and environmental health. In that sense, it acknowledges that complex challenges such as emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance and food safety cannot be effectively addressed by individual sectors or disciplines. Instead, they are seen to require integrated approaches, stronger collaboration and, importantly, better exchange of knowledge between science, policy and practice. The One Health KEN, led by RESTOREID and supported by BioAgora, brings together its sister projects BCOMING, BEPREP and ZOE to help strengthen these connections and support the translation of knowledge into action.
Connecting knowledge, networks and policy
The One Health KEN will focus on three complementary areas of action:
Linking with biodiversity policies and strategies
The Network will identify and respond to policy needs at the intersection of biodiversity, ecosystem change and health, helping to ensure that relevant evidence and expertise can contribute to policy development.
Activating and supporting existing networks
Rather than creating a parallel structure, the One Health KEN will connect with existing European and international networks, initiatives and key actors. By identifying opportunities for collaboration and exchange, the Network will seek to build on existing expertise and strengthen synergies.
Building capacity, outreach and governance
The Network will bring together representatives from the European research and innovation community, facilitate dialogue and knowledge exchange, and create opportunities to jointly identify priorities and future actions.
Supporting the European science–policy interface
The One Health KEN will contribute to addressing policy needs through the future Science Service for Biodiversity (SSBD), which aims to provide the scientific pillar of the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD). The development of the Network builds on identified knowledge gaps and recommendations concerning the links between biodiversity and health. These include findings from the 2023 Eklipse report on biodiversity and pandemics and the recent position paper "Embedding biodiversity within One Health". By connecting existing initiatives and facilitating dialogue across scientific disciplines, policy communities and practice, the One Health KEN thus aims to strengthen the ability to translate evidence into concrete action for biodiversity, health and society.
Join the One Health KEN
Organisations, researchers, policy-makers, practitioners, networks and other stakeholders working at the interface of biodiversity, ecosystem change and health are invited to join the One Health KEN community and contribute to shaping its future.
To find out more, visit the Network's dedicated page or contact its team at one-health[at]bioagora.eu.