Abstract In March 2022, WHO, WOAH, FAO, and UNEP jointly advocated a rebalancing of the multiple components of One Health, explicitly including the notion of equity between sectors and disciplines, and a clearer ecological vision of the whole. Here we illustrate the vital need for this shift based on the multi-decadal experience of the authors in this field of research. We explain why One Health research still crucially requires the expansion of the current collaborations between disciplines and sectors to achieve its goals, and to release significant funding in each field for a successful transformational change. If not, ‘One Health’ will still stay as an aspiration and will not hit its promised targets. One Health Impact Statement In March 2022, WHO, WOAH, FAO, and UNEP jointly advocated a rebalancing of the multiple components of One Health, explicitly including the notion of equity between sectors and disciplines, and a clearer ecological vision of the whole. Here we illustrate the vital need for this shift based on the multi-decadal experience of the authors in this field of research. We explain why One Health research still crucially requires the expansion of the current collaborations between disciplines and sectors to achieve its goals, and to release significant funding in each field for a successful transformational change. If not, ‘One Health’ will still stay as an aspiration and will not hit its promised targets.