The Centre has broken silos through the National One Health Mission (NOHM) to boost India’s preparedness against pandemics impacting different life forms, including humans, animals and plants and even the environment.
Speaking at this year’s National One Health Mission Assembly on Thursday, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said, “For the first time, we have brought together all relevant ministries and departments to work collectively for the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment.”
According to official sources from the Health Ministry, the mission has brought 16 different Central and State Ministries/Departments spanning human health, animal health, environment, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, defence, earth sciences, space sciences, and disaster management on one single platform.
Calling it India’s most significant step toward pandemic preparedness, Nadda highlighted the key actions taken under the mission to monitor antimicrobial resistance and infectious pathogens. These activities included integrated surveillance across slaughterhouses, bird sanctuaries, zoos, and wastewater systems in major cities for early detection of zoonotic outbreaks, the minister noted.
Union Health Minister also drew attention to the infrastructure expansion, including the laboratories equipped with BioSafety Level-3 and BioSafety Level-4 cabinets. These facilities are used for conducting studies on lethal (Ebola virus, Marburg virus) or potentially lethal infectious agents (West Nile virus, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV) that are spread by airborne particles.
“These high-containment labs are our first line of defence against emerging or mutating pathogens. They will significantly enhance our ability to detect threats early and respond swiftly,” he said.
Nadda emphasised that the One Health approach will enable early warning systems for epidemics and pandemics, support integrated interventions, and help India remain future-ready.
Underlining that the world continues to confront zoonotic diseases, climate-sensitive illnesses and other emerging threats that do not respect borders, Dr V. K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, stressed the need for coordinated and collective responses across sectors.
He further stated that outbreak investigation, risk communication, and coordinated action must be synchronised across all levels, pushing for a unified and swift response. “Ensuring the availability of medical countermeasures, vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics at scale is equally critical for preparedness,” Paul added.