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”.