Ethical considerations in One Health research include which of the following?

• A. Balancing human and animal welfare, community consent and benefit, fairness, privacy, and equitable distribution of benefits.
• B. Ethics are secondary to technical feasibility.
• C. Only informed consent from humans matters.
• D. Privacy concerns are not relevant.

Answer: (A)

In One Health research, ethical obligations span humans, animals, and the broader community, recognizing that the health of people, animals, and the environment are interconnected. The strongest approach requires protecting the welfare of both humans and animals, engaging communities meaningfully so they consent to and benefit from the work, and ensuring fairness in how benefits are shared. Privacy protections matter across human participants and community data, and the benefits of the research should be distributed equitably, not concentrated among researchers or sponsors. This holistic view reflects the interconnected nature of One Health and the need to prevent harm while promoting justice and trust.

Ethics aren’t a afterthought to what is technically feasible; they guide how research is designed and conducted. Human informed consent is important but not sufficient on its own, since animal welfare oversight and community-level considerations are also essential. Privacy considerations are relevant, not irrelevant, and ignoring these ethical facets would undermine the integrity and legitimacy of the work.