Project to monitor animal health launched: its objectives, funding

What is the project?

The project aims to enhance the country’s capacity to “prevent, detect, and respond to animal health threats.”

The project was approved by the Pandemic Fund, created by G20 countries under Indonesian presidency in 2022.

The basic purpose of the fund is to assist low-and middle-income countries in strengthening their capacities to identify, report and contain future pandemics.

In its first investment round, the fund mobilised $2 billion. Proposals from various countries were invited for funding, and 350 expressions of interest (EoI) and 180 full proposals were received in the first call. Of these, the governing board of the Fund approved 19 grants in 37 countries. From India, the proposal by the Union animal husbandry department made it to the final list to receive a funding of $25 million.

What is the timeline for the project?

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). It is expected to be completed by August 2026.

What are the interventions planned?

In a concept note, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying said, “The major interventions under the project are 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, and strengthening health security for transboundary animal diseases and India’s role in regional cooperation through cross-border collaboration.”

“The impact of the project would be to reduce the risk that a pathogen will emerge from animals (domesticated and wildlife) and be transmitted to the human population, endangering the health, nutritional security, and livelihoods of vulnerable populations,” said the note.

Why is it needed?

The WHO declared six public health emergencies of international concern in the past few decades, out of them five were zoonotic (transmitted from animals to humans). The latest example of such a disease was Covid-19, which affected the entire world in 2020-21.

About two-thirds of infectious diseases affecting humans originate from animals. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on animal health security as part of future pandemic preparedness. India, with 536 million livestock and other animals, requires measures to prevent and manage infection outbreaks.

What are the expected outcomes of the project?

According to the ministry, following are the five key outputs expected from the project: augmentation of laboratory systems and vaccine manufacturing facilities; strengthening of surveillance and early warning systems; development of human resources capacity and competency; strengthening of data systems, analytics, risk analysis, and risk communication; and addressing cross-cutting institutional capacity gaps at national and regional levels.