One Health Mission to boost India’s pandemic preparedness: ICMR chief

Guwahati, Feb 01: Dealing with pandemics and epidemics will improve in India as the Central government has set up the ‘One Health Mission’ involving 16 ministries and departments for better coordination among all the concerned agencies in case of any such eventuality.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Chair, Dr Rajni Kant, told The Assam Tribune that the covid pandemic exposed the weaknesses in the system, which resulted in many deaths.

To deal with any such eventuality, the Government of India has come up with the One Health Mission.

Dr Kant said that the One Health Mission is headed by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office, and the concerned departments are included in the same.

He expressed the view that it would improve India’s preparedness to deal with any pandemic and epidemic.

The ICMR Chair said that pandemics and epidemics are caused mostly by viruses, while infections can also come from animals and birds. Climate change can also cause such diseases, and that is why all the issues are being examined by the One Health Mission.

He said that studies on viruses, animals and birds and climate change are being conducted by the Mission, and that is why all the concerned ministries are involved in the Mission.

The State governments are also roped in so that any outbreak of epidemics are reported immediately, and necessary action and research can be carried out immediately to deal with the problem. One new central laboratory is coming up under the Mission, while State-level laboratories will come up gradually.

It may be mentioned here that the covid 19 pandemic exposed the fact that no country in the world, including India, was prepared to deal with such a pandemic, which resulted in large-scale deaths.

However, India was among the first countries to come up with covid vaccine, which helped in saving lives not only in India but also in several other countries.