The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for creation of a post of director of National Institute for One Health, Nagpur, who will also serve as the mission director for the multi-ministerial and multi-sectoral’

The ‘National One Health Mission’ has been constituted for integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness.

The post of director of the National Institute for One Health at the level of Scientist ‘H’ on a pay scale of 15 (Rs 1,82,000-Rs 2,24,100) will have annual financial implications of around Rs 35.59 lakh, a government statement said on Thursday.

“The Director of National Institute for One Health, Nagpur will serve as the Mission Director for the multi-ministerial and multi-sectoral National One Health Mission for integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness by bringing human, animal, plant and environmental sectors together,” it said.

A programme for strengthening research and development (R&D) in the integrated diseases control and pandemic preparedness for the National One Health Mission has already been approved on January 1, the release said.

“The National One Health Mission will help India to achieve integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness by institutionalizing the One Health approach. It will also leverage the ongoing/planned programs of different Ministries/Departments by fostering collaborations to address health of humans, animals, plants and environment holistically and in a sustainable manner,” it added.

The complexity and interconnectivity of the challenges threatening humans, animals, and environment including plants, where they coexist, requires a holistic and integrated ‘One Health’ based approach to achieve the goal of ‘Health and Wellness for All’, the statement further said.

Considering this, an integrated framework in the form of a National One Health Mission has been created with the collaboration of 13 Government departments which will coordinate and synergize priority activities across the sectors, such as undertaking integrated and holistic research and development (R&D) across sectors for early detection of epidemics/pandemics, it added.