One Health Approach and India’s NAPRE – Exam Capsule – 28 September 2026

Concept capsule

The One Health approach recognises that human, animal and environmental health are interlinked. Rabies control is a classic One Health case: mass dog vaccination plus human post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) together cut deaths.

India’s NAPRE (National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030) operationalises this approach alongside the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP). Key interventions include dog vaccination, bite surveillance, vaccine / RIG availability, lab diagnosis and community awareness.

Linked terms for prelims

• Zoonosis / zoonotic disease
• Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)
• NCDC; ICMR studies on bite burden
• WHO “Zero by 30”

Use World Rabies Day (28 September) as the calendar hook to revise this cluster for UPSC GS-2/3 and state PSC health questions.

In answers, mention that children under 15 are disproportionately bite victims and that rural access to vaccines remains a bottleneck. Linking NAPRE to the broader SDG health targets and to municipal dog-population management strengthens a 150-word mains note.

Practice MCQs

1. NAPRE in the Indian rabies context aims primarily at:

   (A) Eliminating polio
   (B) Dog-mediated rabies elimination by 2030
   (C) Ending tuberculosis by 2025
   (D) Universal health insurance only

   Answer: (B) – National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030.

2. One Health primarily integrates:

   (A) Only human hospitals
   (B) Human, animal and environmental health
   (C) Only Ayurveda and Yoga
   (D) Only defence and diplomacy

   Answer: (B) – Interconnected health of people, animals and ecosystems.

3. Rabies is best classified as a:

   (A) Water-borne helminthiasis only
   (B) Viral zoonotic disease
   (C) Fungal skin infection only
   (D) Prion disease of cattle only

   Answer: (B) – Viral zoonosis, usually dog-mediated.

Source: WHO One Health / Zero by 30 materials; Government of India NRCP–NAPRE framework summaries.