Dr. Angela Kathrin Martin
Senior Fellow, April to September 2026
University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Lecturer at the Environmental Sciences and Humanities Institute of the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), specialized in applied ethics (animal ethics, medical ethics, environmental ethics).
- Author of the book ‘The Moral Implications of Human and Animal Vulnerability’ (published 2023 with Palgrave Macmillan)
- Member of the Swiss Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology ECNH
Fellow project: “The Values and Ethics of One Health"
Introduction: ‘One Health’ describes holistic strategies that recognize the interconnectedness and interdependence of human, animal and environmental health. They demand collaborative effort across disciplines to attain and promote optimal health for humans, animals and the environment. However, One Health approaches raise ethical issues, as they may lead to dilemmas and conflicts. For example, the widespread use of antibiotics contributes to short-term health amongst farmed animals and patients; at the same time, it also contributes to antibiotics resistance, which endangers the long-term health of people and animals. While it has been recognized that One Health approaches raise questions about values and ethical challenges at the interface of human, animal and environmental health, the ethical underpinnings and principles guiding One Health remain so far unclear.
Objectives: The aim of the project is twofold: first, to investigate the values that underlie One Health approaches; and second, to present ethical principles that should guide decision-making at the interface of human, animal and environmental health. Hence, the project paves the way to One Health approaches that take human, animal and environmental health seriously both on scientific and ethical grounds. Furthermore, by exploring the question of what humans owe to domesticated animals, wild animals and the environment within One Health approaches and how to fairly allocate the benefits of health and the burdens of disease, the project will also make significant and innovative contributions to ongoing debates in environmental ethics, bioethics, public health ethics, animal ethics and distributive justice.
Method: The project relies on the philosophical methods of conceptual analysis, case study analysis and reflective equilibrium.