Through this partnership, the two agencies are establishing a core set of initiatives designed with a “One Health” approach and grounded in shared values and principles of action: openness to society, the primacy of scientific data analysis and expertise, and the establishment of partnerships at the European and international levels.

A strategic alliance for an integrated approach to health

This agreement marks a key milestone in the cooperation between the two agencies, affirming their shared commitment to a “One Health” approach that links human, animal, plant, and environmental health. This strategic partnership aims to:

• Improve responses to public authorities regarding surveillance, health security, population protection, and prevention.

• Coordinate scientific work and responses to ministerial requests on related topics.

• Develop joint surveillance and investigation mechanisms, integrating the fields of human, animal, and environmental health.

• Ensure the integrity and independence of scientific expertise.

The agreement structures cooperation around three major areas of collaboration:

1. The joint implementation or coordination of surveillance and vigilance actions, and the preparation of support for crisis management, within a “One Health” approach: coordination of surveillance systems; strengthening of links between the National Reference Centers coordinated by Santé publique France and the National Reference Laboratories managed by ANSES; anticipation of health crises, based on early detection of emerging signals or alerts and prevention.

2. The collection of data and information through joint field surveys and studies to improve understanding of the determinants of chronic diseases—such as exposure to chemicals, diet, nutrition, and physical activity—with a view to supporting prevention policies.

3. The development of coordinated or shared scientific expertise to support public policies: coordinated production of recommendations and decision-making tools to support public policies such as national health, prevention, and climate adaptation plans.

A dynamic of openness and international engagement

The two agencies are committed to:
• Strengthening the coordination of their prevention and public information messages.
• Conducting their work within a framework of openness and dialogue with societal stakeholders.
• Strengthening their role at the European and international levels to advocate for an integrated approach to health.

A collaboration already in full swing

There are already numerous interactions between ANSES and Santé publique France. These address major issues such as exposure to pesticides and other chemicals, population health surveys, and the early detection of warning signs:

PestiRiv: jointly designing and conducting an innovative, pioneering study to advance scientific knowledge in a field that remains largely unexplored: assessing pesticide exposure among people living near vineyards compared to those living far from any agricultural land.

• Working jointly, the two agencies set out to describe pesticide exposure among populations living near vineyards and those living far from any agricultural land. Santé publique France carried out the biological measurements, while ANSES, supported by its partners, conducted the environmental analyses. This methodological complementarity ensures an accurate and rigorous assessment of exposure levels, taking into account the specific characteristics of environments near and far from vineyards and their impacts on populations. This study, whose results will be published in 2025, aims to produce unprecedented and reliable data to inform public health policies in the face of the complex challenges of pesticide exposure and to protect public health.

• Learn more: PestiRiv - A study to better understand pesticide exposure among people living in wine-growing and non-wine-growing areas

The European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC): combining the two agencies’ shared expertise in biomonitoring and risk assessment for human and environmental health to address current and emerging challenges in chemical safety.

• PARC is another example of collaboration between the two agencies. Coordinated by ANSES, this large-scale European partnership aims to develop a risk assessment for next-generation chemicals to better protect health and the environment. Given its expertise in biomonitoring, Santé publique France is heavily involved in the component of this partnership related to the monitoring and measurement of human and environmental exposure, which it co-leads with the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA). The work aims to establish a multidisciplinary European network, develop indicators to better link exposure to effects on human health or ecosystems, and develop innovative analytical methods to better identify mixtures of substances or emerging substances.

• Learn more: European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemical Substances (PARC)

Albane: a comprehensive joint health survey system designed to inform public decision-makers with regularly updated indicators.

• The result of the merger of the INCA (National Individual Food Consumption Survey) studies from ANSES and the ESTEBAN (Study on the Environment, Biomonitoring, Physical Activity, and Nutrition) from Santé publique France, Albane will enable the continuous assessment of the French population’s health and exposure to chemicals, as well as a better understanding of their links to diet and the environment. Designed to be repeated in two-year cycles, the first cycle of the Albane survey will begin in May 2025.

• Learn more: Albane: health survey, biomonitoring, environment, diet, and nutrition

SUM’EAU: jointly developing a new wastewater surveillance system to detect and track the spread of a disease within a population.

• The SUM’EAU system is based on close collaboration between Santé publique France, which leads epidemiological surveillance, and ANSES’s hydrology laboratory, which serves as the national reference laboratory for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and sewage sludge. An innovative epidemic surveillance tool designed to monitor the population’s health, its objective is to detect early warning signs, track viral circulation, and assess the impact of public health measures through wastewater surveillance. In 2023, using data from 12 wastewater treatment plants, it enabled the tracking of SARS-CoV-2 circulation. In 2024, the system will be expanded to 54 plants. Expanding the program to other pathogens, such as those responsible for seasonal epidemics (influenza, bronchiolitis), offers promising prospects for complementing traditional surveillance systems and strengthening public health monitoring and early warning in France.

• Learn more: SUM’EAU: wastewater microbiological surveillance system