Urgent need to bolster veterinary infra to address future pandemics: Member Health NITI Aayog

New Delhi, Jan 11: There is an urgent need to bolster veterinary infrastructure to effectively address future pandemics, which includes enhancing diagnostic facilities to ensure early detection and rapid response to emerging diseases, Dr Vinod K Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog, has said.

Dr Paul also underscored the importance of establishing advanced platforms for the development and production of next-generation animal vaccines, which are crucial for preventing the spillover of zoonotic diseases and safeguarding both animal and human health.

Speaking at an event in Hyderabad, organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, in collaboration with Indian Immunologicals Limited and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), he said that strengthening these critical components aligns with the broader goal of building a resilient healthcare framework under the ‘One Health’ approach.

Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, said that the government needs to spend more on animal health for better productivity and also improve supply chain and cold chain systems to make the last mile delivery effective.

Dr Abhijit Mitra, Animal Husbandry Commissioner, emphasised upon the need to ensure vaccine security and pre-qualifications for animal vaccines. India is known as a global vaccine hub, with more than 60 percent of the vaccines being manufactured in India and more than 50 percent of the vaccine manufacturers operating based out of Hyderabad.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing the world’s largest vaccination programme in livestock with 100 percent financial support from the Central government for vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease (102 crore vaccinations done) (WOAH endorsed) Brucellosis (4.23 crore vaccinations done), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) (17.3 crore vaccinations done), Classical Swine Fever (0.59 crore vaccinations done) and on sharing patterns for Lumpy Skin Disease (26.38 crore vaccination done).

The event also aimed to foster a deeper understanding of various aspects of "One Health," focusing on enhancing vaccination programmes, improving livestock health, building resilient supply chains for pandemic preparedness, strengthening pandemic responses, advancing disease surveillance, and streamlining vaccine testing, fostering artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, cell and gene therapy vaccines and regulatory pathways for approval.