India's One Health Mission is linking human, animal and wastewater surveillance
The surveillance network is tracking 13 pathogens across 47 cities while genomic hubs and a national biosecurity policy are being developed.
THE INDIQA Desk10 Sept 20261 minHealth & Social Issues
60-Second Summary
India is building a cross-sector disease-surveillance system that links human, animal and environmental health, with wastewater and genomic tools becoming increasingly important.
UPSC Relevance
PrelimsHigh
MainsGS-II · GS-III · High
SubjectHealth & Social Issues, Science & Technology, Government Schemes & Reports
TopicHealth & Social Issues
Importance★★★★★
Image: World Health Organization - file photo
India's One Health Mission is expanding disease surveillance across human, animal and environmental systems. According to information cited by the Indian Council of Medical Research, wastewater surveillance for 13 pathogens is operating across 47 cities, with further expansion planned.
The approach matters because outbreaks do not respect administrative silos. Zoonotic diseases can move between animals and people, while wastewater can provide an early population-level signal of circulating pathogens before hospitals see the full burden. Genomic and metagenomic capacity can then help identify how organisms are changing.
Separately, the Union Home Ministry is working on a National Biosecurity Policy. That policy should not be conflated with the One Health programme itself, but the two reflect the same wider challenge: building institutions that can detect and respond to biological risk before it becomes a national emergency.
Prelims Lens
Prelims Lens
One Health recognises the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health.
Wastewater surveillance can provide population-level signals of pathogen circulation.
Mains Lens
Mains Lens
Central issue: The surveillance network is tracking 13 pathogens across 47 cities while genomic hubs and a national biosecurity policy are being developed.
Dimensions: Health & Social Issues · Science & Technology · Government Schemes & Reports
Institutional coordination in public health
Early-warning surveillance after COVID-19
Possible UPSC-style questionWhy is a One Health approach increasingly important for India's public-health security?
