One Health and Agroecology

SITUATION

One Health is a holistic approach that considers connections between the health of humans, animals and the environment. It focuses on the entire system in which diseases can develop and spread.

India has a high population density, a large number of farm animals and very diverse wildlife. This results in a high risk for the spread of zoonotic diseases, meaning illnesses transferred from animals to people. Furthermore, general environmental conditions such as water, air and soil quality are highly significant for human and animal health.

To minimise these risks, the responsible parties must work together across various areas.

OBJECTIVE

The project aims to strengthen the institutional framework conditions in India in order to reduce risks to human, animal, and environmental health. Additionally, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the One Health approach on the ground, the project contributes to the implementation of pilot measures in the states of Goa and Madhya Pradesh, which also take into account agroecological principles.

APPROACH

The project improves the institutional framework in India and imparts the skills needed to reduce risks to human, animal and environmental health. To this end, it works with the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) as well as other relevant ministries and local stakeholders. The project demonstrates the effectiveness of the One Health approach in tandem with agroecological measures via pilot measures in various states.

The project uses the following approaches:

• It promotes cooperation among the relevant Indian ministries and interest groups regarding health topics.
• It supports knowledge management and capacity development pertaining to One Health and agroecology by developing and improving lesson plans and One Health modules in cooperation with Indian training institutions.
• It conducts pilot measures in which people from various areas work together to jointly reduce risks to human, animal and environmental health in selected regions. The lessons learned from these pilot measures will then be used to disseminate successful approaches.

CONTRIBUTION TO AGENDA 2030

• SDG 2 - Zero Hunger - By supporting sustainable agricultural practices that help maintain ecosystems and progressively improve soil quality.
• SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being - By reducing risks and promoting the health of humans and animals, and their shared environment.
• SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production - By fostering judicious drug use in animal husbandry in order to reduce their release to water and soil.
• SDG 13 - Climate Action - By promoting sustainable agricultural practices that also increase resilience to climate change and by raising awareness of the impact of changing weather patterns on the spread of disease vectors.
• SDG 15 - Life on Land - By aiming to protect and restore ecosystems, thereby supporting biodiversity conservation and sustainable land use.

RESOURCES

• Where: To learn more about our project sites visit our Where We Work section.
• Who: Find our Partners and our Team under the Who We Are section.