The Fifth Meeting of the Scientific Steering Committee on One Health was held in New Delhi today. The meeting held under the chairmanship of Principal Scientific Adviser, Prof. Ajay K. Sood, focused on strengthening national preparedness against emerging public health threats, particularly zoonotic diseases and climate-sensitive health challenges, through enhanced inter-sectoral coordination and long-term planning. During the meeting, a video on the Model Governance Framework for strengthening One Health governance in States and Union Territories was released. It highlighted pathways for institutional coordination and decentralized implementation of One Health across the country. The meeting further discussed activities and interventions for stakeholder Ministries and Departments, and how these may be integrated into annual work plans and budgetary processes. Discussions covered short-, medium-, and long-term One Health priorities, with emphasis on integrated surveillance, laboratory strengthening, AI-enabled pathogen detection, cross-sectoral data sharing, and development of medical countermeasures. Over the past year, the National One Health Mission has achieved several important milestones, including the development of the Model Governance Framework to strengthen One Health governance mechanisms in States and Union Territories, initiation of genomics and metagenomics-based surveillance networks for improved detection of emerging health threats, launch of surveillance initiatives at the human-animal-environment interface including in zoos, bird sanctuaries, and slaughterhouses, and promotion of public awareness and youth engagement through initiatives such as the National One Health Assembly.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Sood underscored the need to translate agreed frameworks into measurable and sustained action on the ground. He emphasized the importance of regular mock drills, strengthened preparedness mechanisms, and timely identification of funding requirements to support implementation. The Principal Scientific Adviser also encouraged all stakeholder Ministries and Departments to consciously document and highlight activities under the National One Health Mission.
