NIJAMSS peer-reviewed article

Human Sustainability and Workforce Resilience in India (SAHARA Framework for Preventive Public Health Under One Health, One Nation Approach)

Moumita Nandy; J. Satpathy; Sweta Adatia

Abstract: India’s rapid economic growth and demographic transformation have been accompanied by rising workforce burnout, occupational stress, and declining resilience across healthcare, education, law enforcement, agriculture, hospitality, and corporate sectors. Existing approaches remain largely reactive, with support accessible only after significant distress emerges. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the interdependence of institutional resilience and human resilience. This paper proposes an integrated preventive framework Project SAHARA (Sustainable Assistance, Healing, Awareness, Resilience, and Action) grounded in One Health principles and tailored to India’s diverse workforce and policy landscape. Drawing on capability theory (Sen, Nussbaum), burnout research (Maslach), resilience science, psychological safety (Edmondson), Conservation of Resources theory, and public health prevention models, the paper develops a multi-level conceptual model. It introduces a measurable Human Sustainability Index (HSI) and outlines a rigorous protocol for future empirical validation. SAHARA extends the One Health paradigm by positioning workforce resilience and human sustainability as a strategic fourth pillar alongside human, animal, and environmental health. The framework emphasises prevention, early identification, recovery pathways, adaptive capacity building, continuous evaluation, and systems-level policy change. It is designed to be scalable across formal and informal sectors and aligned with India’s National Mental Health Programme, Digital Health Mission, and emerging One Health capacity-building initiatives. By shifting from reactive clinical models to upstream, multi-level prevention, SAHARA offers a practical pathway to strengthen workforce sustainability and support national development goals under a One Health, One Nation vision. Future research should empirically validate the HSI and test SAHARA interventions across sectors and regions.

Keywords: Burnout; Human sustainability; India; One Health; Preventive public health; Psychological safety; SAHARA framework; Workforce resilience

Journal

Nexus International Journal of Applied Science, Medicine and Social Sciences

Publication date

May 2026

Volume / Issue

Vol. 1, Issue 1

Paper number

010

Article type

Conceptual Framework Paper

Published paper ID

NIJAMSS-V1S1-MAY2026-010

Publisher

Nexus Academic Press

Access

Open Access

Full text PDF: https://www.nijamss.org/archives-download/nijamss-vol-1-series-1-may-2026-paper-010.pdf