The Hindu Editorial : The advent of a holistic approach to ‘one health’
GS-2 Mains (Health)
Short Notes or Revision Notes
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Question : Evaluate the significance of the National One Health Mission in India’s pandemic preparedness and disease management framework
National One Health Mission – A Holistic Approach to Pandemic Preparedness
Background
- COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the interdependence between humans, animals, and environment.
- The Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) endorsed the setting up of the National One Health Mission in July 2022.
Mission Goals
- Develop strategies for:
- Integrated disease surveillance
- Joint outbreak response
- Coordinated research and development (R&D)
- Seamless information sharing
- Control routine and pandemic diseases affecting humans (e.g., COVID-19), animals (e.g., foot and mouth disease, lumpy skin disease), and wildlife (e.g., canine distemper).
Key Components
- National Institute for One Health (Nagpur):
- Anchor institution for coordinating activities nationally.
- Nodal agency for international collaboration in one health.
- Foundation stone laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 11, 2022.
- Network of high-risk pathogen laboratories (BSL 3 & 4):
- Improved disease outbreak response across human, animal, and environmental sectors.
- Better resource utilization and collaboration for diseases like Nipah.
- Augmented epidemiology and data analytics:
- Application of AI, machine learning, and disease modelling.
- Capacity building in epidemiology across sectors.
- Expansion of genomic surveillance (e.g., wastewater) to animals and broader disease sets.
Global Collaboration
- Highlighted and endorsed by G-20 members during India’s presidency.
- Focus on building better surveillance and analytic capabilities.
- Establishing an international network of One Health institutes.
One Health Beyond Disease
- Addresses wider aspects like antimicrobial resistance, food safety, plant diseases, and climate change.
- Requires engagement of various stakeholders:
- Government agencies
- NGOs
- Academia
- Private sector
- Citizens
Significance
- A “journey” towards a holistic approach to One Health and pandemic preparedness.
- Contributes to achieving “One Earth, One Health” and “Health for All”.