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The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Health Pavilion themed as ‘One Health’ at the 43rd India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi is a hub of educational and informative activity and engagement since its inauguration by Dr. V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, on 14th November 2024. It offers an immersive experience that combines health services, interactive education, and entertainment for visitors of all ages.
A vibrant node for free health services, the pavilion caters to a diverse audience, offering an array of health services for both children and adults. Screenings for children are being done under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) for height, weight, BMI, dental, eye, and ear health, while for adults, free hemoglobin, blood pressure, and sugar level checks, alongside personalized counseling sessions on diet schedules and mental health are being provided at various stalls for Anemia Mukt Bharat, Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health.
The Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) stall at Health Pavilion is spreading awareness about the recently launched U-WIN digital platform for vaccination. Visitors at the UIP stall are being informed about benefits of U-WIN App and are guided to use a QR code to download the U-WIN App for vaccination. 150 U-WIN apps have been downloaded so far. Parents visiting the stall have found the U-WIN digital platform very convenient and simple in booking vaccination slots, downloading e-vaccination certificates and getting SMS alert for the next schedule for vaccination. Visitors at the UIP stall are being informed about the National Immunization Schedule for children and pregnant women. A pocket calendar with the National Immunization Schedule is being shared with visitors for easy and quick reference.
At the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) stall, 46 BP checks, 37 Sugar tests, 27 Pledges and 60 BMI tests have been conducted so far.
Key Engagements and Screenings so far:
● Children Screened (RBSK): 157
● Senior Citizen Enquiries for Ayushman Bharat Vay Vandana Scheme: ~500
● TB Counseling Sessions: 50+
● Mental Health Counseling: 117 (including young adults and elderly)
● HIV Testing/Screening: 119
● Dental Screenings: ~300
● Family Planning Counseling: ~400
● Hemoglobin Tests: 590
● Diet Counseling: 500
● Hearing Checkups: 150
● BP and Sugar Screenings: 100
● Eye Screenings: 218
● Fatty Liver Screenings: 58
Interactive and Cultural Highlights:
Visitors are drawn to informative street plays (‘nukkad nataks’) on TB, Food Safety, and Vector-Borne Diseases, complemented by cultural performances and magic shows that blend education with entertainment.
The Gaming Zone has been a crowd favorite, featuring virtual reality games like exploring human anatomy and engaging health-themed quizzes. The journey culminates with visitors leaving a photo memory and heartfelt message on the ‘One Health’ Memory Wall, making their experience memorable.
The ‘One Health’ Pavilion serves as a vibrant showcase of the Ministry’s dedication to preventive, promotive, and curative healthcare, fostering awareness and community engagement. It underscores the government’s mission to bring health services closer to the people and inspire healthier lifestyles for all.
About ‘One Health’ Approach:
One Health is an integrating idea that brings different sectors together to solve the health, productivity, and conservation challenges and has major implications for India. India with its diverse wildlife, one of the largest livestock populations and high density of human population, and diversity of flora, creates opportunities for harmonious coexistence or conflicts such as heightened risks for inter-compartmental spread of diseases. COVID pandemic, recent outbreaks of Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle and the constant threat of Avian Influenza show that it is not just about addressing diseases from human health point of view (zoonosis) but we need to address the livestock, wildlife and environmental aspects, including plants. This also opens opportunities for leveraging the complementarity and strengths that is inherent in each sector and devise integrated, robust and agile response systems. The complexity and interconnectedness of the challenges threatening humans, animals, and environment including plants, where they coexist, therefore requires a holistic and integrated ‘One Health’ based approach to achieve the goal of ‘Health and Wellness for All’.
