The rising incidence of zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance has underscored the need for a coordinated One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health systems to effectively manage complex health risks.

Evolution of the One Health Concept

• The concept gained global attention during the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (2003–04), which highlighted the animal–human disease interface.

• It was further reinforced during the spread of Avian Influenza H5N1, emphasizing the role of animal health in preventing pandemics.

• The Manhattan Principles formally recognized the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health, along with their implications for global economies and food security.

Scientific Basis

Accumulated scientific evidence supports the One Health framework:

• Nearly 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in origin.

• Anthropogenic drivers such as:

  • land-use change

  • deforestation

  • urbanisation

  • global trade and travel
    significantly contribute to disease emergence and spread.

Global Response to Health Crises

• The COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in fragmented health systems and reinforced the urgency of integrated approaches.

• In response, the WHO Pandemic Agreement (May 2025) was adopted as a legally binding treaty aimed at strengthening:

  • global surveillance

  • information sharing

  • pandemic preparedness and response

What is One Health Approach?

The One Health Approach is an integrated and unifying framework that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. It is based on the understanding that the health of people, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the environment are closely interconnected and interdependent.

Core Pillars of One Health

The One Health approach rests on three fundamental pillars, emphasizing that none can be addressed in isolation:

1. Human Health

This pillar focuses on ensuring the physical well-being of populations, strengthening healthcare systems, and preventing the spread of infectious diseases.

2. Animal Health

It involves the protection of livestock, wildlife, and domestic animals from diseases, along with promoting safe and sustainable agricultural practices.

3. Environmental Health

This pillar highlights the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems, biodiversity, clean water, and a stable climate, which are essential for both human and animal survival.

Significance of the One Health Approach

1. Rising Zoonotic Diseases

A large proportion of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in nature. Increased human interaction with wildlife has intensified the risk of disease spillover, as observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Impact of Climate Change

Climate change is significantly altering ecosystems, vector distribution, and disease transmission patterns. Additionally, extreme weather events are increasing vulnerabilities in already fragile health systems.

3. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

The indiscriminate use of antibiotics in humans, livestock, and agriculture has accelerated Antimicrobial Resistance, posing a serious global health threat. Addressing this issue requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral strategy.

4. Globalisation of Health Risks

The rapid movement of people, animals, and goods across borders has enabled the fast spread of diseases globally. As a result, health security has become a matter of collective global responsibility.

Need for India to Shift Towards One Health Approach

India’s unique ecological, demographic, and economic conditions make the adoption of the One Health Approach not just desirable but essential for sustainable development and health security.

1. Mitigation of Zoonotic Spillover Risks

India has a high human–wildlife interface, making it a major hotspot for pathogen spillover, where diseases jump from animals to humans due to habitat encroachment.

Nearly 60–75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, yet India’s current surveillance systems operate in fragmented silos, often missing early warning signals from wildlife.

The recurrence of outbreaks such as Nipah virus infection and Kyasanur Forest Disease highlights the urgent need for integrated surveillance across human, animal, and environmental sectors.

2. Combating the “Silent Pandemic” of AMR

Antimicrobial Resistance in India is driven by the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in human healthcare, livestock, poultry, and aquaculture.

This has led to the emergence of “superbugs” in the environment, making infections harder to treat. Without a One Health approach, it is difficult to regulate antibiotic residues in water bodies and agricultural systems.

India’s NAP-AMR 2.0 (2025–2029) emphasizes that multidrug-resistant pathogens significantly increase hospital mortality, underlining the need for a coordinated cross-sectoral response.

3. Securing the Livestock Economy

India possesses the world’s largest livestock population, with over 535 million animals, making livestock a critical component of rural livelihoods and the agricultural economy.

However, the sector remains vulnerable to transboundary animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and Lumpy Skin Disease, which can cause massive economic losses.

A One Health approach ensures integration of veterinary and public health systems, thereby protecting both farmer incomes and national food security.

4. Climate-Induced Disease Pattern Shifts

Climate change is altering the geographical distribution of vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks, leading to new disease patterns.

Diseases like Dengue and Malaria are now being reported in previously low-risk and high-altitude regions.

Extreme weather events are accelerating pathogen development, necessitating an integrated climate–health surveillance system under the One Health framework.

5. Biodiversity Conservation as a Health Shield

Healthy ecosystems act as natural buffers that reduce pathogen transmission. However, rapid deforestation, urbanisation, and land-use change in India are weakening these ecological safeguards.

Habitat destruction forces species such as bats and primates into closer contact with humans, increasing the risk of disease transmission.

Thus, biodiversity conservation becomes a public health strategy, reinforcing the importance of the One Health approach.

6. Enhancing Pandemic Preparedness and Intelligence

The One Health framework enables a shift from reactive response to proactive prevention by integrating data, surveillance, and research across sectors.

By linking institutions like the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, India can detect emerging pathogens early.

The National One Health Mission aims to strengthen such integration through advanced laboratories and surveillance systems, improving pandemic preparedness and response efficiency.

7. Ensuring Food Safety and Nutritional Security

Contaminated food chains—due to pesticides, zoonotic pathogens, or veterinary drug residues—pose a significant threat to public health.

Foodborne diseases impose an economic burden of nearly $15 billion annually in India through lost productivity and healthcare costs.

The One Health approach promotes “farm-to-fork safety”, ensuring safe food, better nutrition, and a healthier workforce.

8. Strategic Global Leadership (Viksit Bharat @ 2047)

For India to emerge as a leader of the Global South, it must adopt a scalable and sustainable health model.

Effective implementation of the One Health approach can help India achieve the Sustainable Development Goals while balancing development and ecological security.

Increased investments, such as higher allocations in the health research sector, can position India as a global exemplar in integrated health governance.

Global Initiatives Strengthening the One Health Approach

Several global initiatives and institutional frameworks have been developed to strengthen the One Health Approach, particularly in response to emerging infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.

1. Quadripartite Collaboration

The Quadripartite collaboration provides global leadership to the One Health framework. It brings together four major international organizations:

• The World Health Organization (WHO), responsible for global human health governance.

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), focusing on food security and agricultural systems.

• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), addressing environmental sustainability.

• The World Organisation for Animal Health, responsible for animal health standards globally.

Together, these institutions coordinate policies and actions to integrate human, animal, and environmental health systems.

2. One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022)

The One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022) is a global framework designed to strengthen multisectoral collaboration and preparedness systems.

It focuses on:

• Enhancing surveillance and early warning systems across countries.

• Strengthening preparedness for zoonotic diseases and outbreaks.

• Addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through coordinated global strategies.

• Promoting data sharing and capacity building among nations.

This initiative represents a shift towards preventive and integrated global health governance.

3. WHO Pandemic Agreement

The WHO Pandemic Agreement aims to improve global preparedness and response to future pandemics.

Its key objectives include:

• Ensuring equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics across countries.

• Establishing robust global pathogen and genomic data-sharing systems.

• Strengthening international cooperation in outbreak response and health security.

This agreement reflects the lessons learned from recent global health crises.

4. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The **COVID-19 pandemic served as a major turning point for global health governance.

It exposed the high cost of weak coordination among countries but also demonstrated the importance of global scientific cooperation and information sharing in managing health emergencies.

5. Role of Scientific Collaboration

Scientific collaboration played a crucial role during the pandemic. The rapid sharing of SARS-CoV-2 genetic data enabled researchers worldwide to understand the virus quickly.

This cooperation significantly accelerated the development of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutic strategies, highlighting the importance of open scientific exchange under the One Health framework.

Key Step Taken by India Towards the One Health Approach

India has made significant progress in institutionalising the One Health Approach through coordinated governance reforms, research infrastructure, surveillance systems, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at integrating human, animal, and environmental health.

1. Institutional Governance: National One Health Mission (NOHM)

India has strengthened its biosecurity governance by establishing the National One Health Mission (NOHM), which aims to overcome traditional administrative silos and ensure integrated management of human, animal, and environmental health.

The Mission was approved by the Cabinet in February 2024, following recommendations of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council. It is being coordinated by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India.

The Mission involves participation from over 16 ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Ayush. The Department of Health Research and the Indian Council of Medical Research act as key implementing agencies.

2. Anchor Research Infrastructure: National Institute for One Health, Nagpur

India has established the National Institute for One Health in Nagpur as a central hub for integrated research on zoonotic diseases and pathogen spillover.

This institution focuses on genomic surveillance, epidemiological research, and cross-species disease tracking, helping to detect potential outbreaks at an early stage and strengthen national biosurveillance systems.

3. Animal Health Security: Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (APPI)

India has launched the Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (APPI) to strengthen veterinary disease control and livestock health systems.

This initiative focuses on building a “farm-to-fork” biosecurity system through active surveillance, vaccination, and community engagement.

It is supported by a financial allocation of ?1,228.70 crore, along with World Bank assistance under the Animal Health System Support for One Health project, and is being implemented across 151 high-risk districts.

4. Combating Antimicrobial Resistance: NAP-AMR 2.0 (2025–2029)

India has adopted NAP-AMR 2.0 (2025–2029) to address the growing threat of Antimicrobial Resistance.

The strategy focuses on regulating antibiotic use across human health, livestock, agriculture, and pharmaceutical industries to prevent the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens.

It also aims to reduce environmental contamination caused by antibiotic residues and strengthen surveillance systems across sectors.

5. Decentralised Disease Surveillance Systems

India has expanded its Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) to improve early detection and response to infectious diseases.

The programme monitors over 33 communicable diseases across all States and Union Territories and uses District Public Health Laboratories (DPHLs) and State Referral Laboratories (SRLs) for rapid diagnosis and reporting.

This decentralised system strengthens India’s capacity for early outbreak detection and real-time response.

6. Climate and Ecological Integration in Health Systems

India is increasingly linking climate change, biodiversity loss, and public health under the One Health framework.

Environmental degradation and deforestation are recognised as major drivers of disease emergence, as they increase human–wildlife interactions and disrupt ecological balance.

Recent efforts focus on tracking climate-sensitive diseases such as Dengue in newly emerging regions, including high-altitude zones, to improve predictive surveillance systems.

7. Grassroots Capacity Building: Field Epidemiology and Training

India has strengthened its human resource base through Field Epidemiology Programmes (FETP-One Health) and related training initiatives.

These programmes train health workers, veterinarians, and environmental officers under a unified One Health framework to ensure coordinated outbreak response.

Additionally, under PM-ABHIM and related research programmes, emphasis is placed on risk communication, community engagement, and capacity building for pandemic preparedness.

8. State-Level One Health and Climate Integration Initiatives

Several states have pioneered innovative models aligned with the One Health approach:

• Odisha Climate Budget tracks climate-resilient public expenditure.

• Kerala Meenangadi Model promotes participatory carbon-neutral development.

• Tamil Nadu initiatives, including the Green Climate Company and Chennai’s Cool Roof Project, focus on climate adaptation and environmental health.

These initiatives demonstrate sub-national leadership in integrating climate resilience with public health strategies.

Challenges in Operationalizing the One Health Approach

Although the One Health Approach is widely recognised as essential for managing complex health risks, its operationalisation faces several structural, institutional, and technological challenges.

1. Intersectoral Coordination Challenges

One of the major challenges is the presence of fragmented institutional silos between human health, animal health, and environmental agencies.

These sectors often operate independently with limited coordination, which weakens timely information sharing, joint surveillance, and integrated response mechanisms during outbreaks.

2. Lack of Trained Workforce

There is a significant shortage of trained professionals such as epidemiologists, zoonotic disease specialists, field veterinarians, and data scientists, especially at the district and sub-district levels.

This limits India’s ability to ensure early detection, accurate diagnosis, and coordinated outbreak response under the One Health framework.

3. Infrastructural Disparities

There are wide disparities among states in terms of surveillance infrastructure, laboratory capacity, and digital health integration.

While some states have advanced disease monitoring systems, others still lack basic diagnostic and reporting infrastructure, leading to uneven implementation of One Health principles across the country.

4. Data Privacy and Sharing Constraints

Effective One Health implementation requires real-time data sharing across sectors, but concerns related to data privacy, standardisation, and interoperability often hinder smooth information flow.

Ensuring secure yet efficient cross-sectoral data exchange remains a major operational challenge.

Way Forward

1. Strengthening Integrated Surveillance Systems

India must develop integrated, real-time surveillance platforms that connect human, animal, and environmental health databases. This will enable early detection of emerging diseases and faster response mechanisms.

2. Enhancing International Cooperation

Global collaboration should be strengthened to ensure equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics, especially during pandemics.

Shared research, data exchange, and coordinated preparedness strategies are essential for effective global health security.

3. Capacity Building and Community Participation

There is a need for sustained capacity building of healthcare professionals, veterinarians, and field workers under a unified One Health framework.

Additionally, community participation and awareness programmes should be strengthened to promote preventive behaviour and early reporting of disease outbreaks.

Conclusion

Operationalising the One Health Approach requires overcoming institutional fragmentation, strengthening infrastructure, and building human resource capacity. A coordinated, technology-driven, and participatory strategy is essential to make One Health fully effective in addressing emerging global health challenges.

 

 

One Health approach

Introduction

• The father of modern pathology, Rudolf Virchow, emphasised in 1856 that there are essentially no dividing lines between animal and human medicine.
• This concept is ever more salient as the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Discussions that took place around World Veterinary Day, on April 24, 2021, focused on acknowledging the interconnectedness of animals, humans, and the environment, an approach referred to as “One Health”.

Across the species barrier

• Studies indicate that more than two-thirds of existing and emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, or can be transferred between animals and humans.
• Another category of diseases, “anthropozoonotic” infections, gets transferred from humans to animals.
• The transboundary impact of viral outbreaks in recent years such as the Nipah virus, Ebola, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Avian Influenza has further reinforced the need for us to consistently document the linkages between the environment, animals, and human health.

Steps taken by India for One Health plan

• Tripartite-plus alliance: India’s ‘One Health’ vision derives its blueprint from the agreement between the tripartite-plus alliance comprising the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) — a global initiative supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank under the overarching goal of contributing to ‘One World, One Health’.
• National Standing Committee on Zoonoses:  In keeping with the long-term objectives, India established a National Standing Committee on Zoonoses as far back as the 1980s.
• Centre for One Health: ‘Centre for One Health’ is set up at Nagpur.
• Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying : Further, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has launched several schemes to mitigate the prevalence of animal diseases since 2015, with a funding pattern along the lines of 60:40 (Centre: State); 90:10 for the Northeastern States, and 100% funding for Union Territories.
• National Animal Disease Control Programme: Hence, under the National Animal Disease Control Programme, ?13,343 crore have been sanctioned for:
  • Foot and Mouth disease and
  • Brucellosis control.
• One Health unit: In addition, DAHD will soon establish a ‘One Health’ unit within the Ministry.
• ASCAD: The government is working to revamp programmes that focus on capacity building for veterinarians and upgrading the animal health diagnostic system such as Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases (ASCAD).
  • There is increased focus on vaccination against livestock diseases and backyard poultry.
  • To this end, assistance will be extended to State biological production units and disease diagnostic laboratories.
• National Action Plan for Eliminating Dog Mediated Rabies: WHO estimates that rabies (also a zoonotic disease) costs the global economy approximately $6 billion annually.
  • Considering that 97% of human rabies cases in India are attributed to dogs, interventions for disease management in dogs are considered crucial.
  • DAHD has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the National Action Plan for Eliminating Dog Mediated Rabies.
  • This initiative is geared towards sustained mass dog vaccinations and public education to render the country free of rabies.

Need for coordination

• Scientists have observed that there are more than 1.7 million viruses circulating in wildlife, and many of them are likely to be zoonotic, which implies that unless there is timely detection, India risks facing many more pandemics in times to come.
• Challenges: Veterinary manpower shortages, the lack of information sharing between human and animal health institutions, and inadequate coordination on food safety at slaughter, distribution, and retail facilities.

Way forward

• Consolidating existing animal health and disease surveillance systems — e.g., the Information Network for Animal Productivity and Health, and the National Animal Disease Reporting System.
• Developing best-practice guidelines for informal market and slaughterhouse operation (e.g., inspections, disease prevalence assessments), and
• Creating mechanisms to operationalise ‘One Health’ at every stage down to the village level.
• Awareness generation, and increased investments toward meeting ‘One Health’ targets is the need of the hour.