Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda on Monday, 6 July 2026 marked World Zoonoses Day by reaffirming the government's commitment to the One Health approach, calling it a key pillar of India's public health strategy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The minister highlighted the role of the Centre for One Health under the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in building integrated surveillance and response systems that span human, animal, and environmental health.

Context

World Zoonoses Day is observed every year on 6 July to mark the date in 1885 when French biologist Louis Pasteur administered the first successful rabies vaccine — a landmark moment in the fight against zoonotic disease. Zoonotic diseases are infections that spread between animals and humans, and they account for a significant share of emerging infectious disease events globally. In his post, Nadda described them as posing 'significant threats to public health, animal health, and global health security.'

The minister's statement comes as India continues to build out its post-pandemic public health infrastructure. The COVID-19 outbreak accelerated global and domestic recognition that human health cannot be managed in isolation from animal and environmental health — a principle central to the One Health framework.

Policy Backdrop

India's disease surveillance architecture has evolved steadily over the past two decades. The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, launched in 2004, laid the groundwork for networked outbreak monitoring. The National Centre for Disease Control was subsequently strengthened in 2009 as the nodal institution for disease surveillance, prevention, and response.

The Centre for One Health, a specialised unit within NCDC, is tasked with coordinating responses that cut across human, animal, plant, and environmental health domains. Nadda noted that the Centre works to 'detect, prevent, and control zoonotic diseases' through 'multisectoral collaboration and strengthening surveillance, prevention, and response systems.' This architecture mirrors frameworks promoted by international bodies including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Stakeholders and Impact

The One Health approach directly involves public health agencies, veterinary services, and livestock-dependent communities — sectors that often operate in silos. Strengthening coordination among them is considered essential to reducing the risk of zoonotic spillover events that could escalate into outbreaks or pandemics.

For India, where a large rural population lives in close proximity to livestock and wildlife, integrated surveillance carries particular importance. Veterinary services and state health departments are among the key institutional actors whose coordination the Centre for One Health aims to improve. Livestock communities, who face both economic and health risks from zoonotic disease, stand to benefit most directly from early detection and rapid response systems.

What's Next

The government's stated priority is deepening collaboration across human, animal, and environmental health sectors to build what Nadda called a 'more resilient and future-ready health system.' Attention will now turn to the roll-out of state-level One Health coordination committees and any updates to zoonotic disease surveillance protocols under NCDC. On this observance, the minister urged a collective recommitment: 'let us reaffirm our commitment to the One Health approach and work together to protect the health of people, animals, and our shared environment for a safer, healthier future.'