On World Health Day 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) is bringing together partners under the theme “Together for health. Stand with science.” The campaign highlights the critical role of scientific collaboration and multilateral action in protecting the health of people, animals, plants and the planet.
At a time when the world faces increasingly complex and interconnected health challenges, the message is clear: evidence and cooperation are essential to safeguard health and wellbeing.
For UN-Nutrition, this call to stand with science resonates strongly. Nutrition lies at the intersection of health, food systems, the environment and sustainable development. Translating scientific knowledge into effective action therefore requires coordinated efforts across sectors and institutions.
UN-Nutrition was established precisely to support this coordination. By bringing together the UN agencies working on nutrition, it helps ensure that the UN system acts as one—strengthening coherence, aligning expertise and supporting countries to translate evidence into policies, programmes and investments that improve nutrition outcomes.
Food safety: a One Health priority
Food safety illustrates why science-based collaboration matters. Each year:
- 600 million people fall ill
- 420,000 people die from unsafe food worldwide
- Most of these cases preventable with stronger systems and coordinated action
Ensuring that food is safe requires attention across the entire chain—from agricultural production and environmental conditions to processing, transport, markets and consumption.
This is where the One Health approach becomes essential, recognizing that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals, plants and ecosystems.
When applied to food systems, One Health means strengthening surveillance, promoting safe production practices, investing in science and research, and ensuring that evidence informs policies at every level—from local communities to global governance.
Science, partnerships and global momentum
This spirit of collaboration is reflected in several global moments taking place this week. Leaders, scientists and partners are gathering at the One Health Summit, which highlights the importance of integrated approaches to health challenges affecting humans, animals and the environment.
At the same time, partners continue to build on commitments made at the Nutrition for Growth Paris 2025 Summit, where governments, civil society, international organizations and the private sector mobilized unprecedented political and financial support for nutrition.
Together, these efforts underscore a shared understanding: science, accountability and collaboration are fundamental to improving nutrition and health worldwide.
On World Health Day, UN-Nutrition joins partners across the UN system and beyond in reaffirming the importance of:
- Evidence-based decision-making to guide policies and investments
- Stronger collaboration across sectors, institutions and stakeholders
- A One Health approach linking nutrition, health, food systems and environmental sustainability
Improving nutrition and protecting health requires sustained commitment—from governments, researchers, health professionals, farmers, communities and international partners alike.
Standing with science means working together to turn evidence into action, ensuring that food systems are safer, diets are healthier, and everyone—everywhere—has the opportunity to live a healthy life.
