One Health and Engineering: using engineering to further pave the roadmap towards global health security, pandemic preparedness, and personalized medicine

Abstract

This article delves into the intricate interplay among human, animal, and environmental health, acknowledging the convergence of knowledge across diverse disciplines where traditional boundaries blur, fostering remarkable advancements in engineering, genomics, and medicine. The One Health framework transcends mere disease control, aspiring to enhance the well-being of all life forms on Earth. Positioned uniquely to address global health challenges, pandemics, and personalized medicine, this holistic approach identifies pressing issues such as pandemic preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic disease surveillance, vaccine equity, climate change's health impacts, food safety, vector-borne diseases, healthcare access equity, data integration, and public awareness and education. It emphasizes the driving forces behind these challenges, encompassing demographic shifts, urbanization, migration, gender-based violence, poverty, globalization, and climate change. Most notably, we delineate One Health and Engineering (OHE) as a pioneering discipline harmoniously blending engineering, life sciences, and environmental sciences to address multifaceted health challenges. Engineers play a pivotal role in crafting innovative solutions through technology, data-driven methodologies, and sustainable infrastructure. The integration of genomics and data science into personalized medicine represents a transformative approach to disease prevention and healthcare delivery. Insights into One Health and Engineering initiatives in Colombia highlight the profound significance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing the intricate web of health, environmental, and societal challenges. We showcase the collaborative efforts between the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the establishment of the One Health Genomic Laboratory in Medellín, a beacon of research into diseases, pathogen discovery, and pandemic preparedness.