By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, FEB 29, 2024: THE Union Cabinet approved the proposal of creation of one post at the level of Scientist H (in the pay level 15) as Director of National Institute of One Health, Nagpur who will also serve as the Mission Director for the multi-Ministerial and multi-sectoral National One Health Mission for integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness, by bringing human, animal, plant and environmental sectors together.

Financial implications:

The creation of one post of Director of National Institute of One Health at the level of Scientist 'H' in the pay level 15 (Rs.1,82,000 - Rs.2,24,100) will have the annual financial implications of approx. Rs.35.59 lakhs.

Implementation strategy and targets:

The director of National Institute for One Health, Nagpur will serve as the mission director for the multi-ministerial and multi-sectoral National One Health Mission for integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness by bringing human, anima, plant and environmental sectors together. A programme for strengthening research and development towards integrated diseases central and pandemic preparedness for the National One Health Mission has already been approved on 01.01.2024. Major Impact, including employment generation potential: The National One Health Mission will help India to achieve integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness by institutionalizing the One Health approach. It will also leverage the ongoing/planned programs of different Ministries/Departments by fostering collaborations to address health of humans, animals, plants and environment holistically and in a sustainable manner.

Background:

In the past few decades, several infectious disease outbreaks like Nipah, H5N1 avian influenza, SARS-CoV-2 etc. have culminated into public health emergencies of international concern. In addition, outbreaks of animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle, African swine fever in pigs etc. can impact the economic wellbeing of farmers and country's food security. These diseases also impact wildlife and threaten their conservation.

The complexity and interconnectedness of the challenges threatening humans, animals, and environment including plants, where they coexist, therefore requires a holistic and integrated 'One Health' based approach to achieve the goal of 'Health and Wellness for All'. Considering this, an integrated framework in the form of a "National One Health Mission" has been created with the collaboration of 13 Government Departments which will coordinate and synergize priority activities across the sectors, such as undertaking integrated and holistic R&D across sectors for early detection of epidemics/pandemics, following a 'One Health' approach and developing roadmap for targeted R&D for fast-tracking medical counter measures such as vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, monoclonals and other genomic tools etc.