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

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.

Authors and affiliations

• Dr. Moumita Nandy; Prof. Dr. J. Satpathy; Dr. Sweta Adatia · Corresponding author

  Dr. Moumita Nandy: Director, House of Calm, New Delhi, India; Prof. Dr. J. Satpathy: Professor, The Management University of Africa, Nairobi, Kenya; Dr. Sweta Adatia: Neurologist, Gargash Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  India; Kenya; United Arab Emirates

Institution: Dr. Moumita Nandy: Director, House of Calm, New Delhi, India; Prof. Dr. J. Satpathy: Professor, The Management University of Africa, Nairobi, Kenya; Dr. Sweta Adatia: Neurologist, Gargash Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Corresponding author: Dr. Moumita Nandy, Director, House of Calm, New Delhi, India

Publication details

Journal

Nexus International Journal of Applied Science, Medicine and Social Sciences

Publication date

May 2026

Volume

1

Issue

1

Issue title

Volume 1, Issue 1

Pages

63-70

Article type

Conceptual Paper

Discipline

Occupational Health, Preventive Public Health and Workforce Resilience

Publisher

Nexus Academic Press

e-ISSN

3144-2196

Published paper ID

NIJAMSS-V1S1-MAY2026-010

Registration ID

NIJAMSS-V1S1-MAY2026-010

Paper number

010

Country

India; Kenya; United Arab Emirates

Peer review

Peer Reviewed

Access

Open Access

Article URL: https://www.nijamss.org/articles/nijamss-v1s1-may2026-010/

Full-text PDF: https://www.nijamss.org/articles/nijamss-v1s1-may2026-010/full-text.pdf

References

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Citation

Dr. Moumita Nandy; Prof. Dr. J. Satpathy; Dr. Sweta Adatia. Human Sustainability and Workforce Resilience in India (SAHARA Framework for Preventive Public Health Under One Health, One Nation Approach). Nexus International Journal of Applied Science, Medicine and Social Sciences, Vol. 1, Issue 1, May 2026.