Singapore’s One Health Master Plan

Why One Health matters 

In an interconnected world, the health of humans, animals, and environment are inextricably linked. The One Health* approach recognises this crucial relationship, offering an integrated framework to address complex health challenges that span across these domains.

Singapore, situated in a region that has experienced several significant public health challenges, faces unique circumstances that demand a unified response. From zoonotic diseases like SARS-CoV-2avian influenza to food safety concerns and antimicrobial resistance, these threats don't respect traditional sectoral boundaries.

The stakes are significant. Globally, unsafe food alone causes 600 million cases of foodborne diseases annually. Climate change is expanding the habitats of disease vectors, while international trade and travel accelerate the spread of pathogens. These challenges affect not just public health and animal health, but also food security, and environmental sustainability.

Singapore adopted the One Health approach in 2012, recognising that early prevention and detection of health risks require coordinated action across sectors. This foresight has strengthened our surveillance and response capabilities, enabling us to better protect our community through:

• Enhanced monitoring of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases

• Improved food safety measures

• Coordinated management of antimicrobial resistance

• Integrated environmental public health protection

By bringing together multiple sectors and disciplines, One Health helps us safeguard what matters most: the well-being of Singapore’s people, wildlife, and its environment. Find more details at:

• CDA’s One Health webpage

• What the One Health Master Plan means to individuals

• What the One Health Master Plan means to professionals and businesses

*One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.  The approach mobilises multiple sectors, disciplines and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems, while addressing the collective for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development. 

What is Singapore’s One Health Master Plan?

Singapore's One Health Master Plan serves as our national strategy to safeguard public health by acknowledging the interconnections between human health, animal health, and environmental well-being. This comprehensive plan builds upon groundwork laid in 2012 and represents the culmination of collaborative efforts across Singapore's health, environmental, and animal sectors.

Through a series of strategic planning workshops conducted throughout 2024 and 2025, teams from the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks), PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) collaborated to shape this shared visionmission of the whole-of-society approach for cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary collaboration to enhance health resilience for Singapore . The development process incorporated international best practices while ensuring adaptability to Singapore's context. It is intended to be a living document to incorporate stakeholder feedback over time.

International alignment

While maintaining Singapore's distinctive approach, the Master Plan aligns with key international frameworks including the Quadripartite**'s One Health Joint Plan of Action, the WHO Pandemic Agreement, and the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on One Health. This alignment ensures that our local efforts contribute meaningfully to global health initiatives while addressing Singapore's specific needs.

 **The Quadripartite comprises four international organisations - the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). Their global One Health Joint Plan of Action is accessible here.

One Health Strategic Pillars

The One Health Master Plan is built upon three fundamental strategic pillars that guide the approach to protecting Singapore's health: 

Strategic Pillar 1. Engagements 

• Communications: We develop targeted messages to help everyone understand and act on health issues.  

• Networking: Through active networking, we build collaborative relationships across disciplines and borders.

• Leadership: Singapore also takes a leadership role on the global stage, sharing our One Health approaches and experiences with other nations.  

Strategic Pillar 2. Sector development 

• Partnerships: We gather local and international partners from industry, professional groups, and communities to put One Health principles into practice. 

• Education: Our education programmes help build expertise across different fields, with specific training designed for various roles and responsibilities in protecting public health.

Strategic Pillar 3. Insights 

• Research: Our research teams conduct studies across multiple disciplines to fill knowledge gaps and create practical policies and actions. 

• Information: We enable different agencies to share important health-related data, helping us make better decisions and assess risks more effectively. 

• Surveillance: Our comprehensive monitoring systems monitor human, animal, and environmental health, allowing us to detect and respond quickly to health threats. 

What the Master Plan means to professionals and businesses

Singapore’s One Health Master Plan creates opportunities for professionals, researchers, and industry to contribute to and benefit from our nation's health resilience. Our collaborative framework enables different sectors to participate actively in strengthening Singapore's health security.

Through these collaborative efforts, every stakeholder can contribute to building a more resilient and healthier Singapore. We welcome participation from all sectors to strengthen our One Health approach and enhance our nation's preparedness for future health challenges.

What is ONEHealthSG?

The ONEHealthSG brand represents our nation's commitment to integrated health management. This initiative brings together our various agencies under a unified approach, with 'ONE' in uppercase emphasising our collaborative spirit, 'Health' representing our holistic consideration of human, animal, and environmental well-being, and 'SG' affirming our national identity and commitment. 

Singapore's One Health: Our Highlights and The Charter

These two documents complement the One Health Master Plan, charting objectives and sharing Singapore’s milestones in its One Health journey:

Our Highlights

Download Our Highlights to read inspiring stories of how One Health agencies have collaborated to keep Singapore’s community, animals, and environment healthy.

The Charter

Download The Charter to learn about Singapore's One Health partners and their shared mission to protect the health of Singapore’s people, animals, and environment.