National One Health Mission, Goals, Key Initiatives

Context: Introduction to One Health Mission highlighted the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment in the context of pandemics, exemplified by COVID-19 in humans and lumpy skin disease in livestock.

National One Health Mission

• Launched by the Indian government in July 2022.
• Aims for integrated disease surveillance, joint outbreak response, coordinated R&D, and seamless information sharing.
• Involves 13 Ministries/Departments and science funding agencies (DST, DBT, CSIR, Do Pharma, AYUSH, Health Ministry, Animal Husbandry Ministry, Environment Ministry, Defence Ministry).
• The National Institute for One Health was established in Nagpur as the nodal agency for national and international collaboration.

Goals of the Mission

• Better control of routine and pandemic diseases affecting humans (e.g., COVID-19), animals (e.g., foot and mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, canine distemper), and wildlife (e.g., avian influenza, Nipah).
• Strengthened R&D for vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics by DBT, CSIR, ICMR, ICAR, Do Pharma.
• Close collaboration between Centre, States, academia, and private sector.
• Achieve ‘One Health’ for a healthier planet (‘One Earth, One Health’) and ensure ‘Health for All’.

Key Initiatives

• National network of high-risk pathogen laboratories (BSL 3 & BSL 4) for better disease outbreak response across sectors.
• Utilising AI, machine learning, and disease modelling for improved epidemiology and data analysis.
• Expanding genomic surveillance (e.g., wastewater) and sentinel programs (monitoring animal congregations) for broader disease detection.

Global Collaboration

• ‘One Health’ approach endorsed by G-20 members under India’s presidency.
• Focus on building better surveillance and analytic capacities, and establishing an international network of ‘One Health’ institutes.

Significance

• Addresses complex challenges: One Health tackles interconnected issues like zoonotic diseases (diseases jumping between animals and humans), antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and climate change.
• Improves efficiency: By encouraging collaboration across sectors (health, environment, agriculture), One Health minimises resource duplication and promotes knowledge sharing.
• Cost-effective: Economically, a One Health strategy is more cost-effective in pandemic management, estimated to require $10.3 to $11.5 billion annually, compared to $30 billion a year for non-One-Health approaches, according to World Bank assessments and the G20 Joint Finance and Health Taskforce.

Recent One Health Initiatives

• India’s Standing Committee on Zoonoses (2006): Provides guidance on zoonotic disease challenges.
• India’s First One Health Consortium (Oct 2021): Assesses the burden of animal and zoonotic diseases, fostering collaboration across sectors.
• One Health Pilot Project (June 2022): Strengthens collaboration in Karnataka and Uttarakhand to improve animal, human, wildlife, and environmental health.

How to Switch to a One Health Approach: A Four-Stage Process

• Stage 1: Communication (Building Awareness and Engagement)
  • Establish communication channels between various government ministries and relevant sectors (health, environment, agriculture).
  • Keep stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the One Health transition.
  • Facilitate regular meetings and progress reviews.
  • Example: India’s National Standing Committee on Zoonoses under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
• Stage 2: Collaboration (Knowledge Sharing and Joint Action)
  • Promote knowledge and expertise exchange between sectors to translate ideas into action.
  • Clearly define roles and responsibilities for each sector in managing zoonotic diseases (e.g., disease risk assessment, surveillance, capacity building, research, public outreach).
  • Example: The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying’s (DAHD) One Health pilot project in Karnataka and Uttarakhand, which strengthens collaboration between sectors.
• Stage 3: Coordination (Long-Term Action and Oversight)
  • Implement routine and long-term One Health initiatives led by a national or subnational agency with dedicated authority and resources.
  • This agency should ideally be established specifically for One Health.
  • Examples:
    • Routine environmental and disease surveillance
    • Monitoring animal and animal product trade across borders
    • Conducting regular public awareness campaigns
• Stage 4: Integration (Breaking Down Silos and Creating Synergies)
  • Shift government sectors from vertical (independent program management) to horizontal (collaborative and integrated) structures.
  • Develop a policy framework for efficient resource sharing and streamlining existing programs across sectors.

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