India’s One Health Mission Expands, Adds New Ministries at 3rd Steering Meet

The third meeting of the Scientific Steering Committee on One Health, chaired by Prof. Ajay K. Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, was convened on August 26, 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan Annexe, New Delhi. The meeting marked a major step in strengthening the National One Health Mission (NOHM), a cross-ministerial initiative that brings together science, governance, and public health to address health threats at the human–animal–environment interface.

Expansion of the Mission

In a significant development, three new entities—the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the Department of Fisheries—were formally inducted into the Mission. With this, NOHM now integrates the expertise of 13 ministries and departments, demonstrating the whole-of-government approach required to confront complex public health challenges such as zoonotic diseases, pandemics, and climate-linked health risks.

Broad-Based Participation

The meeting was attended by senior officials and scientists from across India’s health, science, and environment ecosystem. Key attendees included:

• Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research (DHR) and Director-General, ICMR

• Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the PSA

• Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences

• Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH

• Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT)

• Dr. V. Narayanan, Chairman, ISRO

• Representatives from Kerala and Gujarat, reflecting state-level engagement

Other participants included senior leaders from the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Environment and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Science and Technology (DST), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and the newly established National Institute for One Health (NIOH).

Progress Since the Last Meeting

The Committee reviewed updates presented by Dr. Sangeeta Agarwal, Scientist F, Office of PSA, covering:

• State and Union Territory (UT) engagement: Building partnerships across states for capacity-building and knowledge-sharing.

• Inter-state linkages: Cross-learning initiatives on priority zoonotic diseases between Assam–Uttar Pradesh and Goa–Karnataka.

• Governance framework: Proposal of a tiered model spanning state, district, and panchayat levels for implementing One Health interventions.

• Community engagement: Efforts to involve local populations in early warning, surveillance, and best-practice sharing.

The Committee also released the report of the first State/UT engagement workshop, held on June 9, 2025. The report captures insights into strengths, challenges, and opportunities for One Health adoption at state and grassroots levels.

Key Areas of Focus

Deliberations covered several priority areas:

• Unified e-learning module for state and UT officials to standardise training.

• Hackathons and ideathons to involve youth in solving regional One Health challenges.

• Strengthening laboratory networks, particularly Bio-Safety Level (BSL) 3/4 facilities.

• Integrated surveillance across human, animal, and environmental health sectors.

• Data sharing frameworks for building a National Outbreak Data Repository.

• Wastewater surveillance as an emerging tool for early outbreak detection.

Advisory and Review Committee Updates

Four specialised Advisory and Review (A&R) committees presented their progress:

1. BSL-3/4 Laboratory Network – chaired by Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Madhuri Kanitkar, focused on expanding high-containment lab infrastructure.

2. Technology-Enhanced Surveillance and Outbreak Investigation – chaired by Dr. N. K. Arora, exploring AI-driven and digital tools.

3. Research and Development on Medical Countermeasures – chaired by Dr. Renu Swarup, reviewing vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

4. Integration of Databases and Data Sharing – chaired by Dr. Vijay Chandru, advancing interoperable platforms for outbreak intelligence.

Toward a Global Model

Prof. Sood underscored the uniqueness of NOHM as a platform where multiple ministries and scientific agencies converge to build resilience against health emergencies. He highlighted the Mission’s progress in strengthening surveillance systems, capacity-building, laboratory integration, and national coordination.

He emphasised that India’s One Health framework, national in scope, could serve as a global model for addressing the intertwined challenges of climate change, zoonoses, food safety, and biosecurity.

“The richness of this committee lies in the collective knowledge of its members. Together, we can build a One Health framework that not only protects our country but also contributes to global health resilience,” Prof. Sood concluded.

Looking Ahead

With a stronger governance framework, cross-ministerial alignment, and increased youth and state engagement, NOHM is poised to become a cornerstone of India’s preparedness for future health crises. The inclusion of ISRO and Earth Sciences brings new possibilities in satellite-based monitoring, climate modeling, and early-warning systems, while Fisheries integration strengthens food safety and aquatic health monitoring.

As India strengthens its One Health agenda, the Mission reaffirms that human, animal, and environmental health are inseparable—and tackling them together is the key to building resilience in the 21st century.