AIIMS New Delhi, in collaboration with ICMR and the Epidemiology Foundation of India, held a national workshop to advance India’s One Health approach—bringing together experts across human, animal, and environmental health to tackle zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and climate-linked infections.
New Delhi, November 11, 2025: Reinforcing India’s commitment to combating infectious diseases that cross human, animal, and environmental boundaries, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Epidemiology Foundation of India (EFI), organized a National Workshop on “Strengthening Surveillance, Diagnostics, and One Health Response.”
The event, held at AIIMS’ Jawaharlal Auditorium, brought together scientists, clinicians, and policymakers from key national institutes. The workshop underscored the importance of a unified “One Health” framework to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats like zoonotic infections, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and climate-sensitive diseases.
Why One Health Is Vital
Experts noted that India continues to face recurring outbreaks of zoonotic and vector-borne infections such as scrub typhus, leptospirosis, and Nipah virus, emphasizing the inseparable link between humans, animals, and ecosystems.
Rising urbanization, deforestation, and environmental degradation have amplified these risks, making an integrated approach essential for disease prevention.
“One Health is no longer a concept but a critical need for public health systems in India,” said Prof. Umesh Kapil, President, Epidemiology Foundation of India (EFI). “Collaboration across medical, veterinary, and environmental disciplines is key to building stronger surveillance and diagnostic networks.”
=Key Workshop Discussions
The workshop featured experts from AIIMS, ICMR, NIE Chennai, CMC Vellore, CSIR-NEERI, and the Union Health Ministry.
Highlights included:
- Updates on the National One Health Mission and India’s progress under ICMR.
- Case studies on leptospirosis, avian influenza, and scrub typhus.
- Applications of AI-driven diagnostics and community-led surveillance for early detection.
The Path Forward
The recent establishment of regional One Health centres and the launch of the National Institute of One Health in Nagpur were hailed as major milestones. Prof. M. Srinivas, Director, AIIMS New Delhi, remarked, “AIIMS will continue to drive inter-sectoral collaboration. The One Health approach must be deeply embedded in clinical practice, research, and policy.”
The workshop concluded with a unified call to strengthen data-sharing frameworks, laboratory capacity, and digital disease surveillance, ensuring faster response to health emergencies at the human–animal–environment interface.
