From fiction to realityThis year’s World Health Day message — “Together for health. Stand with science” — underlines the essentiality of adopting a One Health approach to protect animals, the environment, and humans. According to the One Health Commission: “One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems.” The approach it advocates involves mobilising multiple sectors, disciplines and communities to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems. It mobilised the National One Health Mission as a collaborative initiative designed to integrate human, animal, and environmental health sectors. Welcoming increasing political consensus on One Health, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in 2023: “A One Health approach makes public health sense, economic sense and common sense.” Indeed, the only thing that makes sense in an increasingly interconnected world is an approach that recognises and acts on these connections.

Source: The Hindu April 06, 2026 21:17 UTC