Human health is inextricably linked to the health of other animals and the environment, all of which are influenced by the weather and climate. However, human health is often addressed as a distinct field of its own (for example, medical doctors versus veterinarians versus ecologists). In national governments, these components are often governed independently by different agencies, with some supporting human health, others managing animal health and others the environment. This fragmented approach to science, policy and risk management may not only lead to inefficiency in fully understanding a health problem, but it may also result in lives lost and lost time in launching a multisectoral response to extreme weather, infectious disease or environmental pollution events. Health systems are rarely equipped to understand and handle alone the increase in extreme weather events, sea-level rise or environmental pressures such as harmful algal blooms or wildfires. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has employed a “One Health” approach to help break down internal and inter-agency siloes that can lead to better service of the government to protect the health of Americans.

In the USA, many agencies take a One Health approach to understanding and managing the interconnected social, environmental and animal determinants of health. NOAA is a diverse agency that includes weather forecasting, climate data and service provision, fisheries management, and ocean and coastal management. Its One Health coordination team acts as a forum to raise and collaborate on intersectional health topics ranging from marine mammal disease, harmful algal blooms, extreme heat impacts, air quality and the environmental factors influencing vector-borne diseases. It also serves as a single point of entry for requests from partners in government (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Homeland Security, Department of State and so forth) and non-governmental stakeholders and partners. The One Health team meets monthly, but also collaborates through a variety of other agency and multi-agency fora. For example, the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS), which is led by NOAA and CDC, but inclusive of many other agencies, hosts several different inter-agency working groups that have addressed heat season messaging, technical guidance for exertional heat exposure, and most recently, developed and launched Heat.gov to serve as the United States Government’s integrated resource for heat and health information. Through the One Health team at NOAA, NIHHIS can address the issue of heat, considering the downstream impacts of extreme heat on human, animal and environmental health. NOAA’s One Health team also provides climate expertise to the United States federal Interagency Crosscutting Group on Climate Change and Human Health (CCHHG). Co-led by NOAA, CDC and the National Institute of Health (NIH), it helps align 14 agencies across the United States federal government and coordinates, implements, evaluates and communicates federal research and scientific activities related to the human health impacts of global climate change. The CCHHG has enabled the first Climate and Health Assessment (CHA) to synthesize the state of the science around climate impacts to health in the USA. The CHA informs public health officials, decision makers and other stakeholders.

NOAA’s One Health team represents the health capabilities and interests of the agency in many ways, enabling NOAA to collaborate more seamlessly with other government agencies on health-related issues, from disease outbreaks to oil spills and extreme weather. For example, the CDC is developing a new Vector-borne Disease Strategy. Through the One Health team, NOAA provided One Health input to the strategy, incorporating consideration of marine mammal disease, vector-borne disease, environmental modelling, and seasonal and long-term climate information. Another example is the CDC’s Heat and Health Tracker which provides timely information on daily and weekly rates of emergency department visits associated with heat-related illnesses using data available through the National Syndromic Surveillance Program to public health officials. Users can enter their zip code to access tailored information and a heat vulnerability index. This climate-informed decision tool is made possible through seamless collaboration, data sharing and coordination between CDC and NOAA. NOAA’s dedicated health experts and One Health team act as an internal forum to collaborate on health-related climate science and research, operational research, community engagement and training, on matters ranging from marine mammal disease to extreme heat impacts. This internal function and staffing enable NOAA to better engage with and serve other federal agencies and partners managing the impacts of climate on human health.

Breaking down siloes internally and externally through a “One Health” approach allows NOAA to be a more effective partner in protecting health from climate and environmental risks.