Meaning

• One Health is an integrated approach that recognises the interconnectedness of human health, animal health, and environmental health
• It promotes coordinated action across medical, veterinary, ecological, and public health sectors
• The approach focuses on preventing, detecting, and responding to health threats that arise at the human–animal–environment interface

Core Pillars of the One Health Approach

• Human Health
  • Disease surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, and public health preparedness
• Animal Health
  • Veterinary services, livestock vaccination, wildlife monitoring, and biosecurity
• Environmental Health
  • Ecosystem protection, pollution control, waste management, and climate resilience

Operational Mechanisms

• Integrated disease surveillance systems linking human and animal health data
• Mass vaccination programmes in livestock and companion animals
• Monitoring of wildlife disease reservoirs and spillover risks
• Regulation of veterinary drugs to curb antimicrobial resistance
• Safe disposal of animal carcasses and biomedical waste
• Data-sharing platforms for early warning and outbreak response

Importance of the One Health Approach

• Zoonotic Disease Control
  • Enables early detection and containment of diseases such as Nipah, avian influenza, rabies, and coronaviruses
• Food and Nutrition Security
  • Reduces losses in livestock and poultry caused by disease outbreaks
• Pandemic Preparedness
  • Strengthens coordinated response mechanisms before outbreaks escalate
• Environmental Protection
  • Addresses pollution, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem disruption that contribute to disease emergence
• Antimicrobial Resistance Management
  • Promotes responsible use of antibiotics across sectors
• Climate Change Adaptation
  • Helps track climate-sensitive vectors and pathogens

Global Institutional Framework

• The One Health framework is jointly supported by
  • World Health Organization
  • Food and Agriculture Organization
  • United Nations Environment Programme
  • World Organisation for Animal Health
• These institutions launched a Joint Plan of Action to enhance global coordination, capacity building, and policy coherence

One Health in the Indian Context

• India has institutionalised the approach through a National One Health Mission
• The mission focuses on
  • Strengthening zoonotic disease surveillance
  • Enhancing laboratory networks
  • Improving coordination between health, animal husbandry, and environmental agencies
  • Addressing antimicrobial resistance through a multisectoral strategy

Structural Challenges

• Fragmented governance with limited coordination between departments
• Uneven investment in animal and environmental health infrastructure
• Inadequate diagnostic and laboratory capacity in rural areas
• Data silos and weak interoperability across surveillance systems
• Community resistance, misinformation, and low awareness
• Climate variability expanding disease vectors into new regions

Strategic Way Forward

• Strengthening inter-ministerial coordination through empowered leadership
• Expanding animal vaccination and wildlife monitoring programmes
• Establishing district-level integrated zoonotic disease laboratories
• Building national digital surveillance platforms using GIS and AI tools
• Implementing a robust antimicrobial stewardship framework
• Enhancing community participation and risk communication