India’s ‘National One Health Mission’: The advent of a holistic approach to ‘one health’

General Studies Paper-2

Context: The article discusses India‘s ‘National One Health Mission,’ which aims to prepare us for better management of diseases affecting humans, animals, and the environment. It involves various ministries and departments working together for disease control, research, and pandemic preparedness. The mission includes setting up a national network of laboratories and using technology like AI for disease monitoring.

What is the India’s ‘National One Health Mission’?

• Mission Overview: The ‘National One Health Mission’ is India’s integrated approach to managing diseases affecting humans, animals, and the environment.
• Participating Bodies: Coordination among 13 Ministries and Departments, including those for Science and Technology, Biotechnology, Health, and Animal Husbandry.
• Objectives and Goals: Developing strategies for disease surveillance, research, and response to human and animal diseases.
• Focus on Diseases: Tackling diseases that affect humans such as COVID-19, foot and mouth disease, and lumpy skin disease.

Why is ‘One Health’ important globally?

1. One Health is globally essential for integrated disease management across humans, animals, and the environment.
2. It addresses widespread diseases like COVID-19, which affect multiple species, showing the interconnectedness of health sectors. It also concerns wildlife diseases, like canine distemper, crucial for conservation efforts.
3. It focuses on establishing a global network of ‘One Health’ institutes for unified disease response strategies.
4. It extends beyond diseases to address wider issues like antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and climate change impacts.
5. ‘One Health’ was endorsed during India’s G-20 presidency, highlighting the need for international collaboration in health surveillance.

What initiatives has the Indian government taken for the ‘National One Health Mission’?

1. The Indian government has launched the ‘National One Health Mission’, aiming to synergize efforts in managing diseases that impact humans, animals, and the environment.
2. A key step was the establishment of the National Institute for One Health in Nagpur, serving as a central hub for coordinating both national and international activities related to health management.

What should be done?

1. Enhancement of disease management across human, animal, and environmental sectors by efficiently using the national network of high-risk pathogen laboratories, including BSL 3 and BSL 4 labs.
2. Application of advanced technologies such as AI and machine learning to enhance epidemiology and data analysis. This approach can be modeled on the success of genomic surveillance from wastewater, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Promotion of active collaboration between government agencies, NGOs, academia, the private sector, and citizens to advance the ‘One Earth, One Health’ initiative, aiming for inclusive health management.