Author's response

The author1 describes some of the mechanisms for establishing network of Tropical Medicine Institutions from environment, human health and animal health sectors to undertake, apart from other activities in the context of One Health approach, integrated surveillance that has been described in our publication2. The intersectoral collaboration, especially among institutes from different sectors, is a prerequisite to efficiently implement One Health approach. We support the proposal of a network of such institutions. However, this is only part of the solution to a complex and much bigger challenge that requires support from policymakers and implementers.

A framework to implement this complex mechanism has been described in detail in an earlier paper by the same author3. This framework for effective implementation of One Health incorporates political commitment, policy formulation, sustainable financing, programme development, knowledge sharing, institutional collaboration, capacity enhancement, engagement of civil society and active participation of the communities. There must be strong emphasis on institutional collaboration as highlighted by the author1.

One Health is a simple and powerful concept with an extremely complex implementation process which has to overcome well-established silo approaches in all countries. Sustained efforts by professionals from all sectors are essential to bring about a change in the national narrative of addressing burgeoning problem of zoonoses including epidemics and pandemics due to new pathogens.