New Delhi, Sep 27 : The Union Health Minister JP Nadda has urged Central Departments and State functionaries to work in collaboration to better anticipate, prevent, and respond to future threats.

Speaking at the second meeting of the Executive Steering Committee of the National One Health Mission (NOHM), he stressed the role of NOHM in recognising the interconnectedness of human, animal, plant and environmental health.

He also emphasised that the coordinated efforts of different Departments through NOHM are turning vision into real outcomes, and called upon participants to further strengthen this collaboration and support state functionaries in the implementation of NOHM initiatives.

Nadda appreciated the progress made in SOPs, roadmaps and pathways for One Health Mission and suggested to strengthen the structures for implementation.

Prof. Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA), emphasised that the mission's primary objective is to enhance pandemic preparedness and strengthen integrated disease surveillance and control mechanisms across human, animal, and plant health systems.

He also stressed the importance of state-level engagement and local ownership to ensure timely detection and response to disease outbreaks.

Prof. V. K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, appealed to all participants to identify, share and work upon the gaps in integrated disease management. He also advised to focus upon wildlife surveillance, generic wastewater surveillance and new approaches to tackle the emerging challenges of biosecurity.

Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research (DHR) and Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) provided updates on the progress since the first steering committee meeting in July 2024.

Notable developments include strengthening the national network of BSL-3 laboratories; Vishanu Yudh Abhyas- a mock drill conducted in August 2024 and Syndromic surveillance projects undertaken through interdepartmental collaborations.

National One Health Mission has emerged as a transformative cross-sectoral initiative, placing India at the forefront of global health security.

The Mission has made significant strides in integrating human, animal and environmental health systems ensuring preparedness against emerging health threats and fostering sustainable development. A total of 16 different Ministries and Departments have joined the collaborative effort.

/IANS