Project to monitor animal health launched: its objectives, funding

Project to monitor animal health launched: its objectives, funding

Sub : Schemes

Sec: Agriculture

Context:

• The Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for Pandemic Preparedness and Response initiative was recently launched by the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.
• The project will work with the help of three implementing agencies: Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Objective:

• The project aims to enhance India’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to animal health threats, with a focus on zoonotic diseases (diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans).
• Around two-thirds of infectious diseases affecting humans originate from animals. India, with its 536 million livestock and large wildlife population, is particularly vulnerable to animal-borne diseases.
• The project is expected to be completed by August 2026.

Funding:

• The project was approved by the Pandemic Fund, established by the G20 countries under Indonesia’s presidency in 2022. The fund was created to help low- and middle-income countries strengthen their capacity to handle pandemics. The first round of funding raised $2 billion.
• India’s proposal, submitted by the Department of Animal Husbandry, was approved, and India received a grant of $25 million.

Major interventions under the project:

• Strengthening and integrating disease surveillance and early warning systems
• Upgrading and expanding the laboratory network
• Improving the interoperable data systems
• Building capacity for data analytics and risk communication
• Regional cooperation through cross-border collaboration.