Kerala govt gives priority to 'One Health' initiative for improving public health: Minister Veena George
May 17, 2024
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 17 : The Kerala government considers 'One Health' a vital collaborative effort for enhancing public health, said State Health Minister Veena George.
She was speaking at the inauguration of the concluding session of the Trivandrum Management Association's annual event, TRIMA.
"Since the outbreaks of Nipah and COVID-19, the concept of One Health has gained attention. The state government has established a One Health Institute and centres in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. We have trained 2,50,000 volunteers to report and connect with government and local communities across Kerala," the minister said.
Understanding the importance of One Health, the state government has revised its health policy, and a Public Health Act was passed by the legislative assembly last year.
"We have established teams at the local level, including officers from the health department, water authority, pollution control board, and animal husbandry, with the panchayat president as the chairman. These committees will help quickly identify infection outbreaks and respond locally, ensuring close monitoring of the situation," she added.
She emphasised that only through the collaborative and collective efforts of various departments can the state effectively combat the threat of infectious diseases. She also expressed hope that ongoing studies by ICMR on the spillover process in Nipah would yield conclusions this year.
Highlighting major health challenges, she pointed out that dengue and chikungunya are significant concerns, along with the recent avian flu cases in Alappuzha and Kottayam. Although the avian flu has not affected humans in Kerala, globally, 800 people have been impacted. The flu could be disastrous if it transmits to humans, and the state health department is closely monitoring the situation.
TP Sreenivasan, former Ambassador and Chairman of TRIMA, Air Marshal (Retd) IP Vipin, Co-chair, TRIMA, Dr. Ritu Singh Chauhan, National Professional Officer, IHR, WHO, C Padmakumar, President of TMA, and Wing Commander Ragashree D Nair, Secretary of TMA, also spoke on the occasion.
According to the World Health Organization, 'One Health' is an integrated, unifying approach to balance and optimize the health of people, animals and the environment. It is particularly important to prevent, predict, detect, and respond to global health threats such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
