The 9th World One Health Congress (WOHC2026) brought together researchers, policymakers and experts from around the world to explore the interconnected health of people, animals and the environment. Seven COST Actions showcased their work and brought their research networks into discussions on some of today’s most pressing One Health challenges.

The importance of the One Health approach has grown significantly in recent years as health challenges increasingly cross the boundaries between humans, animals and the environment. Antimicrobial resistance, emerging infectious diseases, climate change and other complex challenges demonstrate how closely these areas are interconnected and how difficult it can be to address them in isolation. Tackling these issues therefore requires international collaboration across disciplines and sectors, as well as the exchange of knowledge and expertise between different research communities.

In this context, the World One Health Congress, held this year in Lisbon, Portugal from 4 to 7 September, serves as an important meeting point for the international One Health community. It provides opportunities to share new research, exchange perspectives and explore how scientific evidence can inform policy and practice.

“It becomes tangible that the One Health community is now well established as this global conference brings together a large number of projects, institutions, countries and motivated individuals and is held annually. The connection between science and policymaking appears much stronger today than it was a few years ago. The conference revealed the significant progress that has been made in strengthening the institutional foundations of the One Health approach.
Governance frameworks, coordination mechanisms, and monitoring indicators are now well established and reflect the growing maturity of the concept, starting with the quadripartite framework. Certain regions, particularly Europe, now seem quite well structured for a One Health institutional approach and foster strong collaboration across the different parts of the society.”

The WOHC2026 programme covered a wide range of topics, from One Health science and antimicrobial resistance to the relationship between research and policy.

For COST Actions working on One Health topics, participation in such an international forum offered a valuable opportunity to connect their networks with researchers from different disciplines and countries, share their work and experiences, and build new connections which could lead to future international collaborations.

The participation of COST Actions highlighted the important contribution that collaborative research networks can make to advancing the One Health agenda. Seven Actions were represented at the Congress, offering a snapshot of the diverse research and collaboration taking place across the COST community in the field of One Health.

Dr Gwenaëlle Dauphin, Chair of the COST Action ‘European Swine Influenza Network’ (ESFLU) and WOHC2026 speaker

We spoke with some of their representatives on site.

Dr Gwenaëlle Dauphin, Chair of the COST Action European Swine Influenza Network (ESFLU), and WOHC2026 speaker

ESFLU is an open network of scientists and experts working together in an interdisciplinary One Health approach. The goal of the consortium is to advance scientific knowledge concerning swIAV, improve disease surveillance and management capabilities, benefit pork production and reduce risks to both animal and human health. ESFLU was launched in November 2022 and will continue through November 2026.

What are your main observations and takeaways from your participation in WOHC2026 ?

“It becomes tangible that the One Health community is now well established as this global conference brings together a large number of projects, institutions, countries and motivated individuals. A large proportion of participants seems to be scientists, but there was also a strong presence of representatives from international organizations, public institutions, and policymakers. This diversity is extremely valuable, as it increases the likelihood that scientific findings will be translated into concrete public policies and policy makers understand how to make policy changes. The connection between science and policymaking appears much stronger today than it was a few years ago.

The conference revealed the significant progress that has been made in strengthening the institutional foundations of the One Health approach. Governance frameworks, coordination mechanisms, and monitoring indicators are now well established and reflect the growing maturity of the concept, starting with the quadripartite framework. Certain regions, particularly Europe, now seem quite well structured for a One Health institutional approach and foster strong collaboration across the different parts of the society. We had numerous European presentations on that. As expected, some countries are more advanced than others in implementing this approach.“

How did your participation in the Congress, as Chair of ESFLU, contribute to the visibility of the COST Action?

“My participation provided an opportunity to present the ESFLU COST Action in the main auditorium through an oral presentation. This gave excellent visibility to the network. I was able to explain how a COST Action operates, to present the objectives and activities of our network, and to emphasize the need for a One Health collaboration, especially for pandemic preparedness.

Following the presentation, several participants approached me for further discussions, including representatives from Ukraine and South Africa who are interested in establishing national swine influenza surveillance programs.
Interactions with representatives of other COST Actions attending the conference were also highly enriching.

As is often the case, it remains difficult to assess the immediate impact of this type of event, since tangible outcomes generally emerge over the longer term. Nevertheless, the conference offered an exceptional opportunity for networking and for developing future collaborations.“

Mr Luka Kazensky, member of the COST Action Oxidative Stress at the Crossroads of Adverse Outcome Pathways – Pesticides – One Health (CAPSTONE), and WOHC2026 poster presenter

CAPSTONE is a pan-European, interdisciplinary network of experts investigating the impacts of pesticide-related oxidative stress on human health and ecosystems within the One Health framework. By identifying adverse effects relevant to both humans and the environment, the Action develops innovative research strategies based on Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) to better understand, predict, and address these complex challenges.

How did participating in WOHC2026 contribute to your research career and to the visibility of your COST Action?

“I had the opportunity to present our Action and its mission through my poster, Advancing One Health research on pesticide-induced oxidative stress through interdisciplinary collaboration: The CAPSTONE COST Action.

The congress was a valuable opportunity to meet researchers and fellow COST Action members working across different areas of the One Health framework, exchange knowledge, learn from different perspectives, and highlight the work and collaborative potential of our Actions within the broader One Health community.

As a Young Researcher and Innovator from Croatia, an Inclusiveness Target Country, I am especially grateful to COST for providing this opportunity.

The support not only enabled me to participate in an international scientific congress, but also allowed me to represent my COST Action, increase the visibility of our work, expand my professional network, and gain valuable experience at an important stage of my PhD and early research career.

I am honored to be part of the COST network and sincerely grateful for the support and opportunities that COST provides to early career researchers.“

Dr María Jesús Lirola Manzano, Chair of the COST Action Building Education and One Health with Adaptive Convergence and Open Networks (BEACON), and Dr Muhammad Asaduzzaman, member of the Action, both WOHC2026 poster presenters

BEACON brings together interdisciplinary experts and stakeholders from across Europe to develop an innovative health education platform for high school students, through a comprehensive approach that combines cutting-edge technology, expert knowledge, and locally relevant solutions. By promoting well-being, diversity, mutual respect, and global awareness, the Action aims to empower young people to address local and global health challenges while becoming informed and active members of their communities.

How did participating in WOHC2026 contribute to your research career and to the visibility of your COST Action?

Dr María Jesús Lirola Manzano

“As a Young Researcher and Chair of BEACON, participating in the 9th World One Health Congress was a particularly valuable opportunity for me. It allowed me not only to present BEACON’s work and our vision of education as a key infrastructure for making One Health operational, but also to connect with researchers from other COST Actions and with the wider international One Health community.

As an early-career researcher, these opportunities to build international connections, exchange ideas with more experienced colleagues and identify new possibilities for collaboration are extremely valuable. At the same time, representing BEACON at such an international forum helped increase the visibility of our Action and opened new connections that can strengthen our network and its future activities.

This experience showed me once again that COST is much more than funding research networking activities: it creates the conditions for people, ideas and networks to meet, and for collaborations to emerge that would otherwise be much more difficult to build.”

Dr Muhammad Asaduzzaman

“Beyond the formal programme, the Congress provided a valuable opportunity to reconnect with long-standing colleagues from previous editions of the World One Health Congress, my personal and professional networks and BEACON-related networks, and to establish new contacts among researchers, policymakers and practitioners engaged in One Health governance.

These informal exchanges complemented the formal sessions and helped identify potential areas for future collaboration relevant to the BEACON Action. Participation in the 9th World One Health Congress as a BEACON COST Action delegate was a highly productive use of the Action’s support.

The scientific sessions on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and on biodiversity-wildlife-pathogen interfaces, the hands-on workshops on the One Health Mural, island biosecurity and network operationalization, and the opportunity to present and discuss my own work on AMR and food safety, all contributed directly to the objectives of BEACON for curriculum development, training, case studies and networking. The knowledge, contacts and materials gathered during the Congress will directly support ongoing BEACON activities on AMR surveillance and One Health operationalization.”

Ms Laura Grácio, member of the COST Action Beekeeping Products Valorization and Biomonitoring for the Safety of Bees and Honey (BeSafeBeeHoney), and WOHC2026 poster presenter

BeSafeBeeHoney unites researchers, beekeepers, and industry experts to safeguard bee products’ authenticity and quality. Through collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange, the network aims to strengthen food security, protect pollinators, and build resilient ecosystems. Science and passion for bees come together to make a lasting impact.

“Participating in WOHC2026 as a Young Researcher and Innovator from an Inclusiveness Target Country, representing the BeSafeBeeHoney Action with my scientific poster, was a truly rewarding experience. On a personal level, it gave me the chance to present to an international audience, get valuable feedback, and connect with experts and fellow young researchers across the world. This kind of exposure is especially meaningful, as it opens doors to collaborations and networks that would otherwise be harder to access.

For BeSafeBeeHoney, having a poster presented at a major international congress like WOHC helped increase the visibility of the Action, our goals and achievements, and showed the collaborative, cross-border nature of our network.

COST Actions bridge the gap between researchers at different career stages and backgrounds, creating a shared platform where individual contributions feed into a larger, collective impact for our work.”

Further information about COST Actions working on One Health

COST Action webpages: ESFLU, CAPSTONE, BEACON, BeSafeBeeHoney, SafeGameMeat, OneHealthBlastocystis, ONWARD

Networks’ websites: ESFLU, CAPSTONE, BEACON, BeSafeBeeHoney, SafeGameMeat, OneHealthBlastocystis, ONWARD

Learn about other relevant COST Actions