Developed in 2017, the One Health Breakthrough Partnership (OHBP) brings together key regional and national stakeholders across the water, environment, and healthcare sectors who are committed to addressing pharmaceutical pollution – an internationally recognised public health and environmental issue.
We have a key focus on addressing this issue through knowledge exchange, research and innovation, and cross-sector engagement.
This partnership aims to stimulate innovation and impact to help achieve optimal health for people, animals, and our environment, following a One Health approach.
The One Health approach as defined by the World Health Organisation recognises that the health of humans, animals, and the environment are interdependent. It provides an integrated approach to tackling complex global challenges such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), chemical pollution, and climate change. Success depends on working across disciplines and sectors at a range of scales from local to global.
Our Vision
A non-toxic environment that supports the well-being of people, animals, and ecosystems, and contributes directly to Scotland’s National Performance Framework outcomes, Scottish Government strategies, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We are achieving our vision through:
- “Up-stream” interventions to reduce inappropriate medicine disposal and encourage blue-green and social prescribing
- Baseline work to understand the occurrence and impact of pharmaceuticals in the Scottish water environment
- Supporting research into sustainable at-source treatment of the most polluted wastewaters
Our Mission
From 2026 onwards, we will apply the One Health approach to work collaboratively across organisational and disciplinary boundaries to:
- Generate evidence and solutions that strengthen Scotland’s progress towards the National Performance Framework outcomes, particularly those relating to health, environment, communities, and the economy.
- Align with current Scottish Government policies and strategies, including NHS Scotland’s Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy (2022-2026), Scotland’s Environment Strategy (to 2045), the UK’s AMR Action Plan (2024-2029), and Net Zero and climate resilience commitments.
- Support Scotland’s leadership role in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on: Clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), Good health and well-being (SDG 3), Responsible consumption and production (SDG12), and Life below water and Life on land (SDGs 14, 15)
Our Role
As a collaborative platform, the OHBP offers a unique mechanism for connecting scientific evidence, operational practice, and policy needs across the health, environment, veterinary, and water sectors.
Looking ahead, the OHBP will:
- Focus on a single thematic priority: Pharmaceuticals in the Environment. Within this theme, the OHBP will consider key dimensions including:
- Serve as a conduit for the Scottish Government and its agencies, connecting evidence, policy, and practice, and synthesising insights from across disciplines and partners.
- Provide co-ordination for Scotland’s One Health activity, ensuring alignment with the National Performance Framework, Scottish Government priorities, and Scotland’s contribution to the UNSDGs.
- Strengthen communication and reduce duplication by acting as a hub for research, innovation, and knowledge exchange.
- Facilitate connections at UK and international levels, linking with existing initiatives and programmes, and raising Scotland’s profile as a leader in One Health approaches.
By strengthening Scotland’s role in the UK and internationally on One Health issues, the OHBP will help position the country as a leader in developing effective, scalable, and sustainable solutions to complex environmental and public health challenges.
Our Partners
The OHBP steering group is made up of the National Health Service (NHS) Highland, the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) of the University of the Highlands and Islands, Scottish Water, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), and the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW).
Find out more here.
Our Activity
The partnership has attracted research and capacity-building funding from sources including the Scottish Government’s Hydro Nation Scholars Programme, European Social Fund, UKRI, and the Scottish Funding Council.
This has supported research and knowledge exchange activity into areas such as:
- Monitoring pharmaceutical pollution
- Low-carbon and sustainable at-source treatment methods
- Environmentally informed healthcare and Eco-directed formulary development
- Blue-green and social prescribing
- Antimicrobial resistance in the environment
- International engagement
Check out our Projects page to read more about our pioneering work.
Together we are looking to develop sustainable “up-stream” solutions to minimise pharmaceuticals entering wastewater and surface water, and reduce the environmental impact of our healthcare practices. Thus benefitting society, the economy, the environment, and contributing to net-zero and sustainability targets in Scotland.
OHBP significance to Scotland
The OHBP will continue to deliver value to Scotland by supporting evidence-based policy, strengthening cross-sector collaboration, and accelerating progress toward national priorities for environmental protection, public health, and sustainable development.
Our work aligns with the Scottish National Performance Framework Outcomes and strategies for the environment, AMR, climate change, and energy. The OHBP and it’s individual organisations support the Scottish Government strategic priority to create a greener, healthier, and more successful country with opportunities for all to flourish through increasing sustainable economic growth and future-proofing services.
We are engaging closely with the Scottish Government to assess the need for a policy framework on pharmaceuticals in the Scottish environment. Through this collaboration, we look to establish and foster a hub of expertise and activity in the One Health field that will offer services and advice to develop evidence-based policy, and promote Scotland as a global leader in this field.