One Health Day 2026: Key Facts, Three Pillars, Major Components, India's Initiatives, Significance and Challenges

Why in news ?

One Health Day is observed internationally on 3 November every year to highlight the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health.

Key Facts

What is One Health?

• One Health is an integrated, collaborative and multidisciplinary approach that recognises the close relationship between human health, animal health and environmental health.
• It aims to achieve optimal health outcomes by bringing together different sectors, including healthcare, veterinary science, agriculture, wildlife conservation and environmental protection.
• It recognises that diseases and health risks do not remain confined to one sector.
• It promotes coordination among governments, scientific institutions, healthcare professionals, veterinarians and environmental experts.
• It focuses on prevention, early detection, surveillance and coordinated responses to emerging health threats. 

Why was the One Health Approach needed?

• Increasing Zoonotic Diseases: Diseases such as rabies, Nipah, avian influenza and brucellosis can spread between animals and humans.
• Risk of Pandemics: Emerging infectious diseases may originate in animal populations and subsequently spread among humans.
• Antimicrobial Resistance: Excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics in humans and animals contributes to antimicrobial resistance.
• Environmental Degradation: Deforestation, habitat destruction and biodiversity loss can alter interactions between humans and wildlife.
• Fragmented Health Systems: Separate functioning of human healthcare, veterinary services and environmental agencies can delay disease detection and response

Three Pillars of One Health

• Human Health
  • Prevention and control of infectious diseases.
  • Strengthening public healthcare and disease surveillance.
  • Ensuring safe drinking water and sanitation.
  • Addressing antimicrobial resistance.
• Animal Health
  • Prevention and control of livestock diseases.
  • Monitoring diseases in domestic and wild animals.
  • Strengthening veterinary healthcare.
  • Ensuring food safety and animal welfare.
• Environmental Health
  • Protection of biodiversity and ecosystems.
  • Controlling air, water and soil pollution.
  • Addressing climate change and habitat destruction.
  • Maintaining ecological balance.

Major Components of the One Health Approach

• Integrated Disease Surveillance
  • Monitoring infectious diseases across human, animal and environmental sectors.
  • Early identification of emerging and re-emerging pathogens.
  • Sharing disease-related information between different departments.
• Inter-sectoral Coordination
  • Collaboration between health ministries, veterinary departments, wildlife authorities and environmental agencies.
  • Joint investigation of disease outbreaks.
  • Coordinated policy-making and emergency response.
• Research and Development
  • Development of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
  • Genomic sequencing and pathogen monitoring.
  • Promoting interdisciplinary research.
• Antimicrobial Resistance Management
  • Promoting responsible use of antibiotics in humans and animals.
  • Monitoring antimicrobial resistance across different sectors.
  • Strengthening laboratory surveillance and infection prevention.
• Environmental and Ecosystem Protection
  • Monitoring environmental factors that influence disease transmission.
  • Conserving wildlife habitats and biodiversity.
  • Reducing pollution and ecological degradation.

Four Major International Organisations Associated with One Health

• These organisations work together to promote coordinated action on health risks at the human-animal-plant-environment interface.
• Their collaboration includes the One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022-2026), which provides a framework for strengthening One Health implementation globally. 

India's Initiatives towards One Health

• National One Health Mission
  • The National One Health Mission is an integrated initiative aimed at bringing different sectors together to address health challenges.
  • It was developed under the guidance of the Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
  • The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is the implementing agency.
  • The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser provides scientific coordination.
  • It promotes collaboration among more than 13 ministries and departments.
  • Its main objective is to establish an integrated system for disease surveillance, early detection, research and coordinated outbreak response. 
• Major Objectives:
  • Strengthening integrated disease surveillance.
  • Developing early warning systems for emerging infectious diseases.
  • Promoting research on vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
  • Improving data-sharing between human, animal and environmental health sectors.
  • Strengthening pandemic preparedness and response.
  • Developing institutional and technical capacities.
• National Institute of One Health (NIOH), Nagpur
  • The National Institute of One Health is located in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
  • It functions under the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  • It is an important institutional component of India's One Health framework.
  • It aims to promote research, disease surveillance, capacity-building and collaboration across human, animal and environmental health sectors.
• National One Health Programme for Prevention and Control of Zoonoses (NOHP-PCZ)
  • It is a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  • It is implemented through the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
  • It was originally approved in 2013 under the 12th Five-Year Plan.
  • It was initially known as the Strengthening Inter-Sectoral Coordination for Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Diseases scheme.
  • It aims to strengthen coordination among human health, veterinary, wildlife and environmental sectors.
  • It promotes surveillance, laboratory capacity, joint outbreak investigations and community awareness. 
• National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR)
  • India launched its first National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2017.
  • It follows a multisectoral approach to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
  • It promotes awareness, surveillance, infection prevention, research and responsible antimicrobial use.
  • It is closely linked to the One Health approach because antimicrobial resistance can spread across humans, animals, food systems and the environment.
• National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination
  • India has adopted a National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030.
  • It emphasises mass dog vaccination, human rabies prevention, surveillance and inter-sectoral coordination.
  • It reflects the One Health principle by linking animal vaccination with human disease prevention. 

Major Developments and Achievements of India's One Health Mission

• National One Health Workshop (March 2026): The National Institute of One Health, Nagpur, organised a two-day national workshop on operational frameworks for One Health, focusing on translating national vision into state-level action. 
• Fifth Scientific Steering Committee Meeting (May 2026): Discussions focused on integrated surveillance, genomics and metagenomics-based monitoring, a model governance framework and coordination between ministries. 
• Sixth Scientific Steering Committee Meeting (September 2026): The committee reviewed progress in operationalising One Health beyond the initial convergence framework and emphasised institutional ownership, measurable targets and better coordination. 
• AI-based Disease Detection: The National One Health Mission has invited proposals for AI-enabled tools for early detection of emerging and novel pathogens in humans, animals and the environment. 
• Joint Outbreak Response: India has strengthened coordinated investigations involving multiple institutions to improve responses to zoonotic and emerging infectious disease threats. 

Significance of the One Health Approach

• Pandemic Preparedness: Helps identify emerging pathogens before they develop into major public health emergencies.
• Disease Prevention: Improves early detection and control of zoonotic diseases.
• Agricultural Development: Protects livestock, improves animal productivity and reduces economic losses for farmers.
• Food Security: Promotes safer food production and consumption.
• Environmental Sustainability: Connects biodiversity conservation with public health protection.
• Economic Stability: Reduces the financial burden associated with disease outbreaks.
• Global Health Security: Strengthens international cooperation and preparedness against cross-border health threats.

Challenges in Implementing One Health

• Fragmented Governance: Human health, animal health and environmental protection are managed by different ministries and departments.
• Limited Coordination: Information-sharing and joint decision-making between departments remain challenging.
• Inadequate Infrastructure: Laboratories, veterinary facilities and disease surveillance networks require further strengthening.
• Financial Constraints: Integrated research and surveillance require sustained financial investment.
• Data-Sharing Gaps: Different institutions may maintain separate databases and reporting mechanisms.

One Health and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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