Experts in Bengaluru Urge Joined-Up Action for Karnataka's One Health Plan

Experts meeting in Bengaluru have called for team-work across different sectors to put the One Health approach into practice in Karnataka. A conclave at the Indian Institute of Science brought together government officials, scientists, public health workers, community practitioners, and civil society groups.

Expert Views

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, stated in a video address that human health cannot be protected away from animal and environmental health. She stressed the need for integrated checks, scientific teamwork, and coordinated prevention to stop health threats before they grow into crises. Uma Mahadevan, Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner for the Government of Karnataka, pointed out that local panchayats and city bodies can connect government departments, frontline workers, and local residents. Vijay Chandru, co-founder of STRAND and YANTRI Labs, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic showed why genomic tracking, data study, and computer science matter.

Key Concerns

The talks looked at how linked health risks impact daily life for farming groups, livestock keepers, tribal populations, and people living in informal city areas. Anti-microbial resistance and diseases passed from animals to humans were among the main worries discussed. Other speakers at the event included Dr. Veena V. and Mahamood Shariff from the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, organic farmer and climate change activist Vivek Cariappa, and HCL Foundation Director Nidhi Pundhir. The event itself was put together by the Karnataka Health Promotion Trust and HCL Foundation, working alongside NIMHANS and The Association of People With Disability.

Context

The One Health framework is a growing global approach that recognizes human, animal, and plant health are tightly linked to the environment they share. By bringing separate departments together, health planners aim to catch diseases early before they jump between animals and humans. This kind of cross-sector teamwork is increasingly seen as vital for handling modern health challenges like new viruses and drug-resistant infections.