Health Minister Nadda Advocates 'One Health' Approach to Combat Emerging Diseases

In July 2022, PM-STIAC recommended a 'One Health Mission' to coordinate and enhance India's One Health activities and pandemic preparedness.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda emphasized the importance of a 'One Health' approach in addressing emerging diseases, pointing out that many epidemics, such as the Nipah virus outbreaks and COVID-19, originated from non-human sources and crossed over to humans at the animal-human interface.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Nadda underscored the necessity of integrating human, animal, and environmental health to tackle these challenges effectively.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has noted that over recent decades, various epidemics and pandemics of zoonotic origin have resulted in public health emergencies of international concern (PHEIC).

Historical examples include Nipah virus outbreaks in India and Bangladesh since 2001, the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong (2002-03), H5N1 Avian Influenza (2005 onwards), H1N1 in 2009, MERS in 2012, Zika in 2014, and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.

Launch of the National One Health Mission

In response to these threats, the PM's Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) recommended the establishment of a 'One Health Mission' in July 2022.

This mission aims to coordinate, support, and integrate all existing One Health activities in India, addressing any gaps and enhancing the country's preparedness for pandemics.

The National One Health Mission (NOHM) has since been launched as a collaborative initiative involving multiple ministries and departments. It focuses on integrated disease prevention, control, and pandemic preparedness across human, animal, plant, and environmental sectors.

Key participants include the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Ministry of AYUSH, and other relevant departments.

Core Pillars of the NOHM

The NOHM's key pillars include:

1. Technology-Enabled Integrated Surveillance: Implementing a surveillance system across human, animal, and wildlife habitats to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks.

2. Biosafety Level 3 Laboratories Network: Establishing a national network of BSL-3 laboratories for investigating high-risk pathogens.

3. Collaborative R&D: Fostering integrated research and development for medical countermeasures, such as vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics, against potential outbreak pathogens.

The NOHM's governance is overseen by an Executive Steering Committee chaired by the Health and Family Welfare Minister and a scientific steering committee led by the principal scientific advisor.

These committees include representatives from the concerned ministries and departments, ensuring a comprehensive and coordinated response.

Strengthening R&D

The Department of Health Research (DHR) has approved a financial outlay of INR 386.86 Cr to strengthen R&D for integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness.

This funding will support frameworks for integrated disease surveillance across sectors, accelerate R&D for medical countermeasures, enhance data integration, and build capacity. It will also promote global linkages for improved pandemic preparedness.

The government has launched the Pradhan Mantri—Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) as part of a long-term strategy to strengthen India's response to public health emergencies.

This initiative aims to enhance the capacity of healthcare facilities and institutes at all levels—primary, secondary, and tertiary—to identify and manage emerging diseases.

Future Pandemic Preparedness

Key activities under PM-ABHIM include establishing critical care hospital blocks, strengthening the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and setting up regional NCDCs.

Further, the key activities also include expanding a network of BSL-3 laboratories, enhancing public health units at points of entry, and establishing health emergency operation centers.

Additionally, the initiative focuses on bio-security preparedness and strengthening pandemic research within the 'One Health' framework.