The National Institute of One Health (NIOH) in Nagpur, under the Department of Health Research (DHR), organised a two‑day national workshop (18‑19 March 2026) on “Operational Frameworks for One Health: National Vision and State Action”. The event aimed to convert the vision of the National One Health Mission (NOHM) into concrete strategies for states and districts.
Key Developments
- Keynote by Prof. Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor, underscored that One Health is the foundation of national health security and future pandemic preparedness.
- Virtual address by Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, DHR and DG, ICMR, highlighted the whole‑of‑government architecture of the NOHM and the need for state‑level outbreak response teams.
- Technical sessions covered operationalising surveillance, inter‑sectoral coordination, and development of medical countermeasures against zoonotic diseases.
- Day 2 focused on biothreat preparedness, wildlife‑related outbreak investigations and the role of wildlife monitoring in early warning systems.
Important Facts
The workshop brought together senior officials including Dr. Niteen Patil (VC, MAFSU Nagpur), Dr. Prashant P. Joshi (Executive Director, AIIMS Nagpur), Dr. Ranjan Das (Director, NCDC), and state‑level representatives from Maharashtra’s animal husbandry and health departments. Over 70 participants from central and state agencies, research institutions, and technical partners attended.
Key recommendations included: (i) creation of interoperable data platforms linking human health surveillance, veterinary disease reporting, wildlife monitoring and environmental intelligence; (ii) formation of district‑level inter‑sectoral coordination teams; (iii) capacity building for rapid detection and response to spill‑over events.
UPSC Relevance
The workshop illustrates the practical implementation of a flagship health policy, linking concepts from GS‑4 (Health, Environment) and GS‑3 (Science & Technology). Understanding the One Health framework helps answer questions on pandemic preparedness, zoonotic risk management, and the role of inter‑ministerial coordination. It also showcases how ministries like DHR and agencies such as ICMR operationalise health security strategies.
Way Forward
States are urged to adopt the operational guidelines, establish real‑time data sharing mechanisms, and set up dedicated inter‑sectoral coordination cells at district levels. Continuous training of health workers, veterinarians, and wildlife officers, coupled with investment in diagnostic infrastructure, will strengthen early warning and response capabilities. Monitoring the rollout of the NOHM will be a key indicator of India’s preparedness for future pandemics.