Context: The union cabinet approves creation of post of Director of National Institute of One Health at the level of scientist ‘H’ to spearhead National One Health Mission for integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness
About One Health:
- One Health is an integrating idea that brings different sectors together to solve the health, productivity, and conservation challenges and has major implications for India.
- India with its diverse wildlife, one of the largest livestock populations and high density of human population, carries heightened risks for inter-compartmental spread of diseases.
About National One Health Mission:
- Launched in 2022.
- The goal is to develop strategies for integrated disease surveillance, joint outbreak response, coordinated research and development (R&D) and ensure seamless information sharing for better control of routine diseases as well as those of a pandemic nature.
- It will help India to achieve integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness by institutionalizing the One Health approach
- Under the mission, a national network of high-risk pathogen (Biosafety level or BSL 3 and BSL 4) laboratories has been created.
- Under the mission, efforts are being made to apply artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning and disease modelling to address these issues and coordinate capacity building in epidemiology across sectors.
- Emerging approaches such as genomic surveillance from wastewater showed promise during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be expanded to other sentinels such as places where animals (livestock or wildlife) congregate for a broader set of diseases to be taken up so that we mainstream these approaches to be a part of routine surveillance across human, livestock and environmental sectors.
- 13 Ministries and Departments as well as science funding agencies such as Department Of Science and Technology, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Department of Pharmaceuticals, and AYUSH, the Ministries of Health, Animal Husbandry and Environment as well as Defence came together to shape the mission, taking one of the most holistic approaches to one health and pandemic preparedness in the world.
- While diseases that affect humans such as COVID-19, diseases that affect animals such as foot and mouth disease or lumpy skin disease can hit productivity and trade. Similarly, these and other diseases such as canine distemper affect wild animals and their conservation. Only a coordinated approach is essential to enhance readiness for prevalent diseases and potential pandemic threats like avian influenza or Nipah.
- Pandemic preparedness is incomplete without there being a focus on strong R&D. Focused R&D efforts are crucial for enhancing preparedness against emerging diseases by creating essential tools like vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, which are vital for both India and the global Community.
National Institute of One Health (NIOH)
- It is being set up in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
- It is part of a National One Health Mission.
- The institute will focus on a ‘One Health’ approach, recognizing the interconnectedness between human, animal, and environmental health. This approach is crucial for tackling zoonotic diseases, which can jump from animals to humans.
- The director of NIOH will serve as the mission director for the multi-ministerial and multi-sectoral National One Health Mission for integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness by bringing human, anima, plant and environmental sectors together.