In the context of one health approach, the battle against pandemic can be used as an opportunity to meet India’s One Health targets. Explain (200 Words)
Refer - The Hindu
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 3 years
KEY POINTS
One Health' is an approach to designing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes.
Framework
· In keeping with the long-term objectives, India established a National Standing Committee on Zoonoses as far back as the 1980s.
· And this year, funds were sanctioned for setting up a ‘Centre for One Health’ at Nagpur.
· Further, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has launched several schemes to mitigate the prevalence of animal diseases since 2015.
Need for coordination
· Scientists have observed that there are more than 1.7 million viruses circulating in wildlife, and many of them are likely to be zoonotic.
· To achieve targets under the ‘One Health’ vision, efforts are ongoing to address challenges pertaining to veterinary manpower shortages, the lack of information sharing between human and animal health institutions.
· These issues can be remedied by consolidating existing animal health and disease surveillance systems e.g., the Information Network for Animal Productivity and Health, and the National Animal Disease Reporting System.
