Health experts expressed the opinion that the government’s One Health strategy is indispensable for anticipating and averting any forthcoming zoonotic outbreaks, which are diseases that transmit from animals to humans.
This year’s theme for World Health Day () is ’My Health, My Right’ focuses on equal access to quality health care. “The government’s focus on the ’One Health’ approach, recognizing the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health, is vital for predicting and preventing future zoonotic disease outbreaks,” Dr. Rohit Garg, consultant, infectious disease, Amrita Hospital Faridabad, told IANS.
They noted that lessons from each event have helped the country to improve its preparedness for future pandemics, including the hypothetical Disease X.
India’s Evolving Response to Disease Outbreaks
“India’s response to recent disease outbreaks has been molded by our experience with Covid-19. Recent moves to expand the existing network of biosafety-level 3 and 4 laboratories, to expand surveillance for respiratory viruses, invest in diagnostic infrastructure, and formulate a One Health approach towards emerging diseases are welcome and important steps towards tackling such challenges,” Gautam Menon, Dean, Research and Professor of Physics and Biology, Ashoka University, told IANS.
Besides ramping up testing facilities, expanding healthcare infrastructure, and contact tracing, during the Covid pandemic India’s significant measures included its vaccination drive. It was one of the largest globally, and was pivotal, with India developing an indigenous vaccine, Covaxin, alongside deploying other vaccines.
“These actions highlighted the country’s ability to mobilize vast resources and innovate under pressure,” said Dr Rohit. Similarly, during the Nipah virus outbreaks, although more localized, India employed rapid response teams, enhanced surveillance, and implemented containment measures.
“India, post-pandemic, is very different in terms of capacity for pathogen surveillance and pandemic prevention or control when compared to pre-pandemic times. This is partly infrastructural, in terms of greater scientific and health capacity, but mostly structural in terms of better-defined roles for existing organizations, and creation of new multi-stakeholder institutions e.g. for OneHealth,” Anurag Agrawal, Dean of Bio Sciences and Health Research at Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University, told IANS.
Reference:
- World Health Day 2024 – (https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2024)
Source-IANS
