In the present globalised world, the health of people, animals and the mother earth can no longer be viewed separately or in isolation. The concept of Interconnected Health or One Health approach, illustrates that the well-being of humans is deeply and directly linked with the health of animals and that of environment. This holistic framework is critical in solving core complicated and complex health challenges cross boundaries and disciplines.
Human and Animals Health: A Mutual Vulnerability
The humans and animals are intricately interconnected. It is said; roughly 60% of known infectious diseases in humans are animal borne (zoonotic), that is, infections coming from animals into humans. This includes multitude of deadly diseases such as Rabies, Anthrax, Avian influenza, Brucellosis, Ebola, COVID-19 and many more.
The example from the recent past, the COVID-19 pandemic, opined to have originated in wild animals. This demonstrated how disruption or trespassing of wildlife habitats and uncontrolled wildlife trade can introduce new and virulent pathogens to human populations. Likewise, rabies remains a public health concern always, with over 85% of cases attributed to bites from unvaccinated or stray dogs, in India.
Vaccinating animals, atleast pets (cats & dogs) and domestic animals, is a proven way to prevent significant viral zoonotic infections. Besides, the vaccination of pet keepers against various pet borne diseases is highly recommended.The Government of India already started mass free vaccination against Brucellosis and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) under National Animal Disease Control Program (NADCP) aiming to eradicate both these diseases by 2030. Likewise National Rabies Control Program (NRCP) initiative aims to vaccinate all dogs and cats above four (04) months of age.
The cross-species Antimicrobial transmission and crises
The indiscriminate use of antibiotic and other chemical products in the animals without veterinarian or medical consultation have become a global concern. The free use of antibiotics in animals has given rise to resistance against these chemo products. This resistance have got transmitted to humans through the food chain or through animal products.
One such example is emergence of resistant strains of Salmonella and E.coli in poultry birds and when such birds are consumed by humans, they suffer from very serious untreatable infections. So, to fight the common concern of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), all the stake holders vis-a-vis, Medical, Veterinary and Environmental scientists must come together under the common platform and devise a collective initiative to combat this mega global problem.
Environment: A mutual health component
The environment provides all resources like air, water, etc free of cost that support life on earth. So obviously degrading environment, cutting down forests, damaging climate, polluting environment or its resources degrades the environment in totality and thereby kill the life on it.
Deforestation not just destroys the nature but encroaches the house cum habitat of wildlife on one hand and on the other breaks the animal-human barrier which exposes the humans to novel disease spill over. Water, air and other pollution variants give rise to many air and water borne diseases. In the cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, etc the air pollution is a major concern and when subjected to retrospective epidemiological study, end up revealing the disturbance and exploitation of nature’s epidemiological pyramidal balance.
Climate: Borderless Resource and Responsibility
Climate disturbance is the current practical most serious exhibition of connected health. Temperature rise, global warming, inconsistent weather patterns with extreme changes almost across globe predispose humans to many challenges like irregular parasitic spillover leading to unexpected disease outbreaks, unnatural hosts, cross-species disease transmission and many more. One such good example is the outbreak of dengue, malaria and chikungunya among humans in previously cooler regions. Such examples when extrapolated in scientific tune give an insight about the future expected challenges for human, animals and other beings.
Way Forward: Sustainable food system development
Our food habits not just affect our health but do have an impact on the lives of other beings since the nature governs the food and feeding of all its creatures through multitude of food chains and food web.
Controlled industrialisation, management of agricultural lands, judicious use of nature’s both renewable (water, air) as well as non-renewable (fossils, petroleum) resources, substitution or controlled use of green house gas producing agents, aiming limiting of green house gas emissions, promotion of organic farming, replacing chemical fertilizers with manures, boosting Integrated farming systems, containment of use of antibiotics or other pharmacological products in animal production system as growth promoters, afforestation, restoration of wildlife parks and sanctuaries are some of the major initiatives that can help in a long way in building a sustainable environment for both the animals and humans to live on this planet peacefully.
We live in an interconnected world where anything that affects one inevitably affects others. So to fight these challenges a collective and collaborative strategy is of paramount importance. All the stakeholders including government, relevant departments, concerned professional experts, planning agencies, veterinarians, medical experts, and environment specialists must come together under single canopy and strategize a cohesive response from the grass root levels to effectively address the common concern. “One Health” no more remains an option but the only choice available.
(The author is a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in Animal Husbandry Department Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Feedback: [email protected])
