Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda delivered the inaugural address at the National One Health Mission Assembly 2025 through a video message at Bharat Mandapam. The event was attended by Dr. V. K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog; Dr. Ajay K. Sood, Chairperson, Scientific Steering Committee on One Health and Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India; and Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General, ICMR.
The two-day Assembly is based on the theme “Translating Knowledge to Practice – One Earth, One Health, One Future.”
In his address, Shri Nadda said the theme reflects India’s growing focus on holistic health and global health priorities. “‘One Earth, One Health, One Future’ is not just a theme – it is the foundation of our approach to strengthening health security and enhancing preparedness against future pandemics,” he stated.
He highlighted India’s progress in health research, pharmaceutical innovation and vaccine development over the past decade, recalling milestones such as Covaxin, Covishield, Corbevax and the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine. “India developed and supplied vaccines to more than a hundred countries, reaffirming our role as a trusted global partner,” he noted.
Shri Nadda also pointed to India’s advances in next-generation vaccine platforms, including mRNA, DNA, viral vectors and biosimilars, and spoke about the country’s rapid growth in diagnostics. “In the diagnostics sector, India has become an innovation hub, powered by our talented researchers, growing start-up ecosystem and strong technological capabilities. Solutions like TrueNat, PathoDetect and CRISPR-based tests have made diagnostics faster, more accurate and more accessible,” he said. He also acknowledged the role of INSACOG and digital health platforms like COWIN.
Speaking about the National One Health Mission, Shri Nadda called it one of India’s most important steps toward pandemic preparedness. The Mission brings together 16 ministries and departments spanning human health, animal health, environment, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, defence, earth sciences, space sciences and disaster management. “The National One Health Mission is a unique example of whole-of-government and whole-of-society collaboration. For the first time, we have brought together all relevant ministries and departments to work collectively for the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment,” he said.
He shared that the Mission has already begun integrated surveillance across slaughterhouses, bird sanctuaries, zoos and wastewater systems to track antimicrobial resistance and infectious pathogens. “Joint outbreak investigations and the development of medical countermeasures are underway, strengthening our pandemic preparedness architecture,” he added.
Shri Nadda also highlighted the creation of a national network of 23 BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories. “These high-containment labs are our first line of defence against emerging or mutating pathogens. They will significantly enhance our ability to detect threats early and respond swiftly,” he said.
The Minister congratulated all stakeholders and expressed confidence that the Assembly would strengthen collaboration, knowledge sharing and cross-sectoral partnerships. “This Assembly represents the spirit of collaboration, innovation and preparedness. I wish the event great success and hope it paves the way for a safer and healthier future for all,” he concluded.
The BSL-3 Laboratory Network SOP Compendium was also released at the event.
Dr. V. K. Paul said the Assembly marks the beginning of a true Jan Andolan for protecting human, animal and environmental health. He stressed the importance of One Health collaboration in tackling zoonotic diseases, climate-sensitive illnesses and emerging threats that cross borders.
He emphasized coordinated surveillance, rapid outbreak response and strong systems for vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. Dr. Paul also highlighted India’s growing BSL-3 and BSL-4 lab network and called for developing a new generation of One Health specialists. He noted that while national frameworks guide overall direction, states will play the most crucial implementation role.
Dr. Ajay K. Sood said India has steadily been integrating human, animal, plant and environmental health sectors. The National One Health Mission, he noted, is the result of those sustained efforts. “For the first time, 16 key stakeholders, including States and Union Territories, have come together under a unified platform to advance this integrated approach,” he stated. He expressed confidence that the Mission will significantly strengthen the country’s One Health ecosystem.
The event was attended by senior officials from the Government of India, international organisations and partner agencies, including Smt. Anu Nagar, Joint Secretary, Department of Health Research, and Dr. Nivedita Gupta, Head of Communicable Diseases, ICMR.
