Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda delivered the inaugural address at the National One Health Mission Assembly 2025 on Thursday, stressing that the theme ‘One Earth, One Health, One Future’ represents the foundation of India’s long-term approach to health security and pandemic preparedness.
Addressing the gathering through a video message at Bharat Mandapam, Nadda highlighted India’s rapid advances in vaccines, diagnostics and digital health over the past decade, including indigenous COVID-19 vaccines and innovations such as TrueNat, PathoDetect and CRISPR-based tests. He described the National One Health Mission as a unique whole-of-government and whole-of-society initiative that brings together 16 ministries and departments to address threats emerging at the intersection of human, animal and environmental health. The mission has already begun integrated surveillance across slaughterhouses, bird sanctuaries, zoos and wastewater systems.
At the event, the government released the BSL-3 Laboratory Network SOP Compendium, a consolidated set of operating protocols aimed at standardising practices across high-containment laboratories.
NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr V. K. Paul underlined the need for coordinated action to confront zoonotic and climate-linked risks, calling the mission the start of a “true Jan Andolan” for safeguarding health across ecosystems. He said integrated surveillance in high-risk hotspots and synchronized outbreak responses across agencies will be central to strengthening national preparedness.
Dr Ajay K. Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser and Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee, emphasized that the mission marks the first time human, animal, plant and environmental sectors have been brought under a unified framework with active participation from states and Union Territories.
The National One Health Assembly 2025 is being hosted by the Department of Health Research (DHR) under the aegis of the National One Health Mission from November 20–21, bringing together ministries, departments, academicians and experts to highlight India’s leadership in the One Health approach, which recognizes that human, animal and environmental health are interconnected and require integrated strategies for effective disease control and pandemic preparedness.
Senior government officials, scientists and international partners are attending the two-day assembly.