As part of the 1st One Health Barcelona Workshop , Dr. Carles Borrego, researcher at the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), highlighted the importance of understanding the relationship between antibiotic resistance and the environment. His intervention, under the provocative title “One Health or One Waste?” , highlighted how natural ecosystems are becoming reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes due to contamination by pharmaceutical waste, a key aspect in addressing the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

Borrego highlighted how aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems can act as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes, a phenomenon that is accentuated by the presence of pharmaceutical contaminants in the environment. This relationship, he noted, is essential for a more comprehensive perspective in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, a growing threat that goes beyond human health and also affects animals and the natural environment.

The 1st One Health Barcelona Workshop , under the motto “From theory to practice” , set out to promote a deeper understanding of the interconnection between human, animal and environmental health. The aim was to address these shared challenges in a practical way through interdisciplinary collaboration, with a special emphasis on the real experiences of the professionals involved. The congress brought together experts from various fields to share both the successes and challenges of past projects, thus establishing a platform to learn from practical cases in global health.

During the workshop, participants highlighted the benefits of the One Health approach, which connects the health of people, animals and the environment. This approach is essential for preventing and controlling diseases, as well as for developing practical and effective strategies for rapid response to outbreaks. In the long term, such initiatives can also generate a positive economic impact, reducing the costs of treatments and minimizing the economic consequences, such as the closure of industries or the impact on sectors such as tourism and trade.

Attendees had the opportunity to collaborate and establish support networks, a key component in building a scientific and technical community that works beyond the congress on joint initiatives. This first edition of the One Health Barcelona Workshop is a step forward in fostering innovation, creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of global health.