'One Health' initiative need of the hour for preventive healthcare: BBMP special commissioner

BENGALURU: Covid-19 stole the limelight in the past two years over other diseases and became the primary focus and cause of concern. The need of the hour is to focus on a ‘One Health’ initiative and create a protective habitat against all diseases, beyond just the pandemic, opined BBMP special commissioner Dr Thrilok Chandra while speaking at a biotechnology press conference at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2022.

There is a need to enhance the surveillance towards, zoonotic, environment and human related diseases (One Health) and hence creating a sensitive environment and a climate proof Bengaluru to ensure people are largely protected, Dr Thrilok said. 

Healthcare professionals and experts highlighted the impact of climate change on the environment, increased communicable and non-communicable diseases and people’s degrading lifestyle as well. 

Dr H Paramesh MD, visiting professor Divecha Centre for Climate Change IISc; founder chairman, Lakeside Education Trust, said, the world was standing at a disastrous stage right now, especially with the destabilised climate, it would cause adverse effects on health and environment, in terms of extinction of species, forest fires, decreased corals, increased rate of communicable and non communicable diseases etc. 

Experts opined that there was a dire need to create a 'One Health' system adopting the advanced technologies available in terms of genomic medicine, sewage water surveillance, antimicrobial resistance, and even efficient urban planning to ensure a collective effort is made in creating a protective environment. 

Dr Chandra also said, the government's efforts for setting up Namma Clinics is a step taken in ensuring primary intervention for treating diseases. It is a step forward towards the 'One Health' initiative, he said.