To practically and sustainably link human, animal, and environmental health, the program plans to establish frameworks that foster cooperation between healthcare professionals, veterinarians, and environmental scientists.
Published Oct 28, 2024 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 28, 2024 | 7:00 AM
Posspole team during the launch of ONE HEALTH initiative. (Supplied)
Imagine your body, your pet, and your garden all connected by invisible threads. When your pet gets sick, it can also affect your health. Likewise, if the garden is polluted or filled with unhealthy plants, it can impact both of you.
Addressing this interconnectedness, Bengaluru-based Posspole has launched the ONE Health Initiative, a comprehensive approach that aims to improve the linked health of humans, animals, and ecosystems.
Posspole is a dynamic 360-degree ecosystem focusing on hi-tech products, market access, and manufacturing.
Explaining the initiative, Posspole Co-Founder and CEO, Kiran Rudrappa, told South First, “The ONE Health initiative is a multidisciplinary approach aimed at improving health outcomes by integrating human, animal, and environmental health. The primary goals include enhancing disease prevention, promoting sustainable health practices, and fostering collaboration across different sectors to address health challenges holistically.”
The ONE Health initiative focuses on promoting, adapting, and integrating new technologies and innovations from startups, industry, and academia to achieve its goals. To practically and sustainably link human, animal, and environmental health, the program plans to establish frameworks that foster cooperation between healthcare professionals, veterinarians, and environmental scientists.
This integration will be achieved through joint research initiatives, shared data platforms, and community outreach programs, emphasizing the interconnection of health across species and ecosystems.
“It is an established fact that the well-being of humans is deeply interconnected with that of animals and plants. Their diversity, health, and abundance impact us daily,” Rudrappa added.
The ONE Health initiative is prioritizing cutting-edge AI tools to enhance wellness, predict disease outbreaks, and expand telemedicine for remote consultations and monitoring. These technologies aim to improve healthcare access, streamline diagnoses, and facilitate patient management across humans, animals, and the environment.
“Technology-driven solutions built on today’s telecom stack can be a game-changer for democratizing healthcare, enabling 140 crore people to access essential health services,” said Rudrappa.
Under the ONE Health program, Posspole has created two primary focus areas for medical and wellness innovations: communicable and non-communicable diseases. Each area is divided into wellness (preventive) and treatment categories. These are further enhanced by the technologies mentioned below.
“We already have a pipeline of drugs, devices, AI tools, wearables, and data resources that will form the foundation of Posspole Health,” shared Rudrappa. “We aim to collaborate with global organizations and governments to advance healthcare innovation and realize India’s Viksit Bharat vision by 2047.”
The initiative will leverage partnerships with international organizations, governments, and NGOs to share successful models and technologies. Focus will also be placed on creating adaptable solutions for different regions and healthcare systems.
“Nearly half the globe, particularly the Global South, faces similar healthcare challenges. ONE Health will align with global initiatives from the UN, G20, and other platforms to share best practices, exchange technologies, and help globalize startups,” said Rudrappa.
The biggest challenge in India today is the lack of reliable data, stemming from an insufficient data framework within the existing structure.
“We realized that while the government has structured efforts to understand and collate data, there’s a need for a more democratic system to access and share this data on a wider platform. We are collaborating with various AI groups to democratize data access for researchers,” said Rudrappa.
He added through Indigenous collaborative platforms, we aim to provide researchers with tools to enhance research reliability by integrating data analytics, advanced language processing models, conversational AI, and evidence mining to improve the intellectual property landscape.
“Data analytics and AI will analyze vast amounts of health data, identify trends, and predict potential health crises. These technologies will support informed decision-making, improve patient care, and optimize resource allocation within the healthcare system,” he said.
On the other hand, within the scope of the ONE Health initiative, the Posspole Global Tech Transfer Center is focused on advancing technology commercialization.
“Currently, numerous intellectual properties, including patents, are underutilized due to a lack of commercialization, despite their potential viability. Many of these innovations are simply ahead of their time.”
“This initiative is the first of its kind—a global tech transfer platform in collaboration with the International Federation of Inventors Association (IFIA)—to connect inventors with global markets and potential investors or accelerators interested in scaling their innovations,” explained Rudrappa.
Additionally, this platform allows for listing intellectual property, creating compelling narratives around inventions and linking them with government or industry implementers, thereby fostering academia-industry interaction.
Rudrappa shared examples of disruptive innovations already underway, such as a wireless, portable ventilator that matches ICU standards. This device could offer immediate, life-saving care in rural areas with limited medical infrastructure and can be easily transported with patients in ambulances.
Another noteworthy invention is a device that reduces the need for nursing interventions and suctioning, serving as both a breathing aid and a speaking valve. Such a device is crucial in a market like India, where daily demand is high and dependence on European imports is a bottleneck.
“Additionally, we have some exciting drug innovations. One of these is India’s first patented cancer drug in decades, which has entered clinical trials. There’s also a poly-herbal Ayurvedic cancer therapy and an advanced immunotherapy drug. We’re developing extended-reality devices for operating theatres and conversational AI platforms to enhance patient assessment and outcomes,” said Rudrappa.
These include AI tools for disease tracking, community health education programs, and pilot projects for integrated health services in rural areas.
Rudrappa further elaborated on the fundamental key metrics to measure the success of the initiative.
Maximizing intellectual property utilization: The initiative aims to support inventors with intellectual properties that remain under-commercialized by providing a global platform to help them bring their products to market.
Selecting and scaling start-ups: Each year, select high-potential start-ups will receive support to access both global and local markets. These start-ups will undergo impact assessments to measure their influence on grassroots innovations and broader ecosystem improvements.
Healthcare access and affordability: Improved access to and affordability of healthcare services, raising India’s health index.
Other critical metrics
The initiative also includes a Longevity Experience Centre dedicated to researching and developing solutions that promote healthy ageing and extend people’s health spans. Partnering with ONE Health’s longevity experts, the centre offers proven products, innovative ideas, and techniques to enhance lifespan.
“The centre introduces an organ-specific approach to ageing, moving away from traditional, general ageing models. This method identifies specific organs or systems, like the liver or endocrine system, that may age prematurely, allowing for targeted rejuvenation and reverse-aging treatments,” said Rudrappa.
“We are also compiling data on genetics, microbiomes, and biological age to offer precise, personalized advice by correlating biological and physical age, creating comprehensive rejuvenation programs. While India has the potential to be a global leader in longevity, it has been underrepresented, but we aim to change that with our data.”
Rudrappa also noted that in the next decade, precision and personalized medicine will become more accessible. He highlighted the importance of expanding synthetic biology, which he believes will serve as the foundation for future biological interventions.
“Through cellular engineering, we can add functions to cells or restore capabilities they have ‘forgotten.’ Precision and regenerative medicine will enable personalized treatments based on an individual’s genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, improving patient outcomes and supporting more effective health interventions across diverse populations.”
“By integrating genetic, microbial, and physical data, we can create a personalized health program that not only analyzes a person’s susceptibility to certain diseases but also provides structured plans to prevent or reverse these conditions. The coming decade will be a turning point for synthetic biology, with India positioned to lead in biotechnology and synthetic biology advancements, whether in gene editing or cellular engineering,” he added.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
