One Health for Pandemic Preparedness

A Unified Approach to Health, Environment, and Wildlife

The National One Health Mission represents a ground-breaking initiative aimed at addressing the intricate relationships between human, animal, and environmental health. India, with its rich biodiversity, vast livestock population, and high human density, faces unique challenges that necessitate a unified approach to managing disease outbreaks and maintaining health security. By integrating efforts across multiple sectors, this mission is poised to redefine how health is managed across the country. India’s rapid urbanization, expanding agriculture, and evolving ecosystems create ideal conditions for the emergence of zoonotic diseases—those transmitted between animals and humans. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with recurring outbreaks like Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle and the persistent threat of Avian Influenza, has underscored the limitations of addressing human health in isolation. With diseases now crossing human, animal, and environmental boundaries, a more holistic approach is essential. The One Health Mission addresses the risks inherent in this interconnected system, ensuring that humans, animals, and the environment are considered as integral parts of the same health ecosystem.

The Role of Climate Change in the Evolution of New Diseases

Climate change is a critical driver in the emergence and spread of new diseases. Rising temperatures, changing weather patterns, and increasing instances of extreme events such as floods and droughts have altered ecosystems, creating conditions for pathogens to thrive. The National One Health Mission recognizes the need to address the role of climate change in disease evolution and integrates climate-sensitive strategies into its health management approach.
Vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue, are spreading to new regions as rising temperatures allow mosquitoes and ticks to survive in previously cooler climates.
Shifts in wildlife habitats due to climate change can bring wild animals into closer contact with human populations, increasing the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.
Climate-related disruptions to agriculture and water supply also heighten food insecurity, exacerbating malnutrition and creating conditions where human immune systems are compromised, making populations more susceptible to infections.

The One Health Mission: An Integrated Framework

The National One Health Mission brings together stakeholders from human health, animal husbandry, wildlife conservation, and environmental sciences to create a comprehensive framework for addressing diseases. The core elements of the mission include:
Integrated Disease Surveillance
A key objective is to establish robust integrated disease surveillance systems that track zoonotic, trans-boundary, and pandemic-potential diseases. This involves combining clinical, epidemiological, and environmental data to detect diseases early, enabling faster and more effective responses.
Environmental Surveillance
The mission emphasizes environmental surveillance by monitoring key sentinels such as sewage, vectors (mosquitoes, ticks), and animal trade sites. This real-time data collection serves as an early warning system, enabling the detection of pathogens before widespread outbreaks occur. Environmental monitoring will also assess broader indicators such as water quality and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which are crucial for understanding disease transmission dynamics.
Cross-Sectoral Collaboration
To ensure a unified response, the mission integrates efforts across human healthcare, veterinary science, and environmental management. Joint outbreak investigations and coordinated response teams, such as Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), are established at national and state levels to manage both endemic and emerging diseases.
Research and Development
The mission drives targeted R&D efforts to develop diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics for high-priority diseases affecting humans, animals, and plants. It also promotes innovation in disease detection technologies and data linkages to streamline information-sharing across sectors.

DRIIV’s Role in the One Health Mission

DRIIV plays a critical role in the National One Health Mission by fostering collaboration across diverse sectors and promoting the use of cutting-edge technologies to improve health outcomes. DRIIV’s efforts include:
Facilitating Cross-Sectoral Synergy: DRIIV brings together key players from healthcare, veterinary science, and environmental management to ensure seamless coordination and knowledge sharing.
Promoting Technological Innovation: By supporting research in disease surveillance systems, data integration, and diagnostics, DRIIV enhances the mission’s ability to pre-emptively detect and manage health threats.
Strengthening National Capacity: DRIIV collaborates with government bodies, research institutions, and industries to map the country’s capabilities, optimize resource use, and build infrastructure to address future health crises.

Towards a Resilient Health Ecosystem

The National One Health Mission offers a transformative vision for managing health in an interconnected world. By addressing the health of humans, animals, and the environment together, and recognizing the impact of climate change on disease evolution, India is positioning itself to lead global efforts in integrated health management. With institutions like DRIIV supporting innovation and collaboration, the mission is poised to create a more sustainable and resilient health ecosystem for all.