The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has inked a collaborative project on the Animal Health System Support for One Health (AHSSOH) with the World Bank aiming to create an ecosystem for a better animal health management system.
The project will be implemented in five States and it envisages improving capacity building of stakeholders involved in animal health and disease management. The project calls for participation by Human Health, Forest and Environment Department at the national, regional as well as local for creating and strengthening the One Health architecture including community engagement.
Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Parshottam Rupala launched the “Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (APPI)” as well as the World Bank funded Animal Health System Support for One Health (AHSSOH) project under the aegis of National One Health Mission in New Delhi on 14th April 2023.
Earlier during G20 Health Working Group that was held in Goa on April 20, 2023 Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying highlighted that “The only way to protect us from future pandemics is through a holistic approach called “One Health”, which focuses on the health of people, animals and the environment. Strong animal health systems are important as essential parts of the One Health approach and essential to support food security and livelihoods of poor farmers and reduce the risk of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) and zoonoses and Anti- Microbial Resistance (AMR). It can be done through One Health initiatives which adequately prioritize animal health system with focus and proper investment in strengthening national veterinary services with sufficient staff and infrastructure, disease surveillance at crucial points, like border areas.”
About the project
The project aims to cover 151 districts in five participating states, wherein it will target upgradation of 75 district/regional laboratories, upgradation/strengthening of 300 veterinary hospitals/dispensaries, aims to train 9000 para-veterinarians/diagnostic professionals and 5500 veterinary professionals.
The collaborative project will be implemented over a five-year period as Central sector scheme with a financial provision of Rs. 1228.70 Cr. In addition to this the project will develop an ecosystem for continuous training of veterinarians and para-veterinarians on innovative disease management practices apart from networking laboratories and integrating disease reporting system for enhanced surveillance of zoonotic and other animal diseases. These foundational activities will help in preparedness for pandemic diseases that impact animals.
Framework
As a part of the upcoming National One Health Mission, the Department has conceived a focused framework of the “Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (APPI)” for future animal pandemic and epidemics. The key activities under APPI which are at different stages of execution are as follows:
Defined joint investigation and outbreak response teams (National & state)
Design an overall integrated disease surveillance system (built on National Digital Livestock Mission)
Strengthening the regulatory system (e.g., Nandi online portal and Field trial guidelines)
Creating disease modelling algorithms and early warning systems
Strategizing disaster mitigation with National disaster management authority
Initiate targeted R&D to develop vaccines/diagnostics/therapies for priority diseases
Build genomic and environmental surveillance methods to improve the timeliness and sensitivity of disease detection
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