What is the One Health Approach?

The One Health Approach is an integrated, multidisciplinary strategy that recognises the interconnection between the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. The WHO defines it as "an approach to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems." It acknowledges that diseases, food safety, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental degradation cannot be addressed by any single sector alone.

The approach is critical because approximately 60% of emerging infectious diseases globally originate from animals (zoonoses), and over 75% of new human pathogens in the last three decades have been of animal origin. Diseases like COVID-19, Ebola, avian influenza, and Nipah virus underscore the need for coordinated surveillance across human health, veterinary, and environmental sectors.

The One Health concept is championed by a Quadripartite alliance of the WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). India has adopted the approach through the National One Health Programme and integrated disease surveillance through the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Key Features

# Feature Details
1 Core Principle Human, animal, and environmental health are interdependent and must be addressed together
2 Key Organisations WHO, FAO, WOAH (formerly OIE), and UNEP form the Quadripartite alliance
3 Zoonotic Diseases ~60% of emerging infections are zoonotic (animal-origin); e.g., COVID-19, Nipah, Avian Flu, Ebola
4 Antimicrobial Resistance Overuse of antibiotics in humans and livestock drives AMR — a key One Health concern
5 Food Safety Farm-to-fork safety requires integrated monitoring of animal health and food supply chains
6 Environmental Link Deforestation, climate change, and habitat loss increase human-animal contact and disease spillover
7 India's Initiatives National One Health Programme, NCDC surveillance, National Action Plan on AMR (2017-2021)
8 Global Relevance Pandemic preparedness, biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation

Important Concepts

  • Zoonotic spillover occurs when pathogens jump from animal hosts to humans — often triggered by deforestation, wildlife trade, and intensive livestock farming that increase human-animal-pathogen contact. Over 30 new human pathogens were detected in the last three decades, 75% of animal origin.
  • Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a critical One Health issue. India is one of the world's largest consumers of antibiotics in both human medicine and animal husbandry. The National Action Plan on AMR promotes surveillance, stewardship, and reducing antibiotic use in livestock.
  • India's Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and its successor Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) incorporate One Health principles for early detection of disease outbreaks with zoonotic potential.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically demonstrated the need for One Health — the virus likely originated in animals and spread due to close human-wildlife interaction, underscoring the importance of wildlife surveillance.
  • Rabies is a classic example of a One Health disease — it affects dogs, wildlife, and humans, and requires coordinated action between veterinary services (dog vaccination) and human health systems (post-exposure prophylaxis).
  • India established a Standing Committee on Zoonoses and participates in the WHO-led Joint External Evaluation (JEE) for health emergency preparedness, integrating animal and environmental health indicators.
  • Avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks in India require coordinated response between the Ministry of Health, the Department of Animal Husbandry, and wildlife authorities — a textbook example of One Health in practice.
  • The Pandemic Treaty negotiations at the WHO incorporate One Health principles, aiming to improve global preparedness for future pandemics through cross-sectoral collaboration.

UPSC Exam Corner

Prelims: Key Facts

  • One Health links human, animal, and environmental health
  • The Quadripartite (WHO + FAO + WOAH + UNEP) leads global One Health efforts
  • About 60% of emerging infections are zoonotic in origin
  • India's National Action Plan on AMR is aligned with One Health principles
  • Nipah virus, Avian Influenza, COVID-19 are examples of zoonotic diseases
  • WOAH was formerly known as the OIE (Office International des Epizooties)
  • Over 30 new human pathogens were detected in 3 decades, 75% of animal origin
  • India's IHIP (Integrated Health Information Platform) supports integrated disease surveillance
  • Wildlife trade and wet markets are major risk factors for zoonotic spillover events
  • The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need for One Health implementation globally

Mains: Probable Themes

  1. One Health approach in pandemic preparedness and India's public health infrastructure
  2. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a One Health challenge — role of livestock antibiotic use in India
  3. Climate change, deforestation, and emerging zoonoses — integrating health and environmental policy
  4. India's institutional framework for disease surveillance and cross-sectoral health coordination
  5. Global pandemic treaty negotiations and the One Health framework in international health governance

Sources: WHO — One Health Fact Sheet, CDC — About One Health, WOAH — One Health