The Indian Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying recently launched initiatives aimed at addressing the threat of zoonotic diseases, which are illnesses that can transfer from animals to humans. These two projects – the Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (APPI) and Animal Health System Support for One Health (AHSSOH) – have been established in line with the Global One Health strategy of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Understanding the Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (APPI)
The APPI aligns with WHO’s Global One Health strategy, which encourages multisectoral cooperation in confronting zoonotic diseases. The initiative will focus on bolstering veterinary services and infrastructure, improving disease surveillance, quick detection and response. Furthermore, it intends to develop the skills of animal health professionals and increase farmer awareness via community outreach.
APPI has numerous key pillars, including: Disease Surveillance and Monitoring, Disease Model Algorithms and Early Warning System, Outbreak Investigation and Response, Ecosystem Coordination, Vaccine Development and Research and Development, Building Disaster Resilience, Funding, and Regulatory Framework.
The main objective of APPI is to raise India’s readiness and responsiveness to prevent and control zoonotic diseases, protecting both animal and human health.
About Animal Health System Support for One Health (AHSSOH)
AHSSOH strives to establish an environment conducive to better animal health management using the One Health approach. Planned for implementation over five years as a central sector scheme, this project aims to cover 151 districts in five states. Its main focus will be on upgrading 75 district/ regional laboratories and reinforcing 300 veterinary hospitals/clinics.
Livestock Diseases Burden and Livestock Sector Scenario
To be developed…
National One Health Mission (NOHM)
One Health is a multidisciplinary approach that seeks to find solutions to health, productivity, and conservation challenges. Considering India’s diverse wildlife, vast livestock population, and dense human concentration, this is a necessary framework. The recent disease outbreaks like Covid-19, Lumpy Skin Disease, and Avian Flu have shown that addressing diseases only from a human perspective isn’t sufficient. Livestock and wildlife too need to be taken into account.
The NOHM is a cross-ministerial initiative approved by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). It will be implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare along with other ministries. The mission’s objective is to address the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health in order to promote comprehensive and integrated methods for disease control and prevention.
NOHM comprises several components, including: strengthening surveillance and Early Warning Systems for zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance, promoting research and development, capacity building, enhancing public awareness and community engagement on One Health issues, developing guidelines and policies for One Health interventions, establishing a One Health data repository and information system, and facilitating national and international collaborations to tackle One Health challenges.
