One Health approach fosters empathy, stewardship, says vet university VC

One Health is an integrated and unifying approach for improving the health of people, animals, and the environment. It recognises that these areas are closely linked and interdependent.

The One Health approach acknowledges that the health of people, animals, and the environment are intrinsically linked. It emphasises the need for collaboration and coordination among different sectors, disciplines, and stakeholders, including public health, veterinary and environmental, to address health challenges.

Embedding the One Health concept into both primary and higher education is essential, not only to nurture informed citizens from an early age but also to cultivate an elite cadre of professionals, ready to tackle complex health challenges. Integrating One Health principles in primary education lays the foundation for an environmentally conscious and scientifically literate society. Early exposure to topics such as biodiversity, the importance of clean air and water, sustainable agriculture, food safety and animal welfare fosters a mindset that values interconnectedness.

For young learners, understanding that the health of animals and nature directly impacts human well-being encourages empathy and proactive environmental and public health stewardship.

At the higher education level, the One Health approach offers an interdisciplinary platform for advanced research and innovation.

At the GADVASU, the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology was established in 1984 and upgraded to the School of Public Health and Zoonoses (SPHZ) in 2012 and then to the Centre for One Health in 2021. The prime mandates of the centre are teaching, research and extension activities in the fields of zoonoses, milk and meat hygiene, food safety, environmental hygiene and epidemiology. There are also active ongoing collaborations with medical colleges and hospitals to generate evidence-based data for endemic zoonoses and food safety related issues. The centre is associated with epidemiological research and awareness drives on many important zoonoses, including brucellosis, tuberculosis, rabies, cysticercosis, hydatidosis, food safety organisms, environment contaminants etc. The centre for One Health also offers a one-year postgraduate diploma programme in ‘One Health’ for capacity-building among professionals of various health sectors.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been at the forefront of the initiative, with programmes such as the National Rabies Control Programme and the National One Health Programme for Prevention and Control of Zoonoses. These initiatives underscore the importance of bridging the gap between human and animal health through coordinated surveillance, rapid response, and public health interventions. Complementing these efforts, the Ministry of Science and Technology, through the Department of Biotechnology, has initiated India’s first One Health project.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has taken significant strides by including One Health concepts in the curriculum of veterinary sciences. Programmes like the All India Network Project on One Health Approach to Zoonotic Diseases ensure that future veterinarians are well-versed in the interplay between animal health, human safety, and environmental integrity.

Overall, the One Health approach is not merely an academic concept but a practical framework that has the potential to transform how we perceive and manage health risks. Embedding this philosophy in the education and health sectors is crucial for creating an informed citizenry and a dynamic workforce, capable of addressing the challenges at the human-animal-environment interface.