Pandemic Fund Project

Why in News?

Recently “Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for Pandemic Preparedness & Response” initiative has been launched by the Indian government under Pandemic Fund Project.

What are the needs of animal health management?

• Public Health Emergencies - In the past few decades, WHO declared 6 public health emergencies of international concern, and 5 of these have had animal origin.
• Increasing Zoonosis – About two-thirds of infectious diseases affecting humans originate from animals.
• Zoonotic  Mortality – Zoonotic diseases account for more than 1Billion cases and 1Million  deaths per year.
• Pandemic Preparedness - COVID-19 pandemic acknowledged that pandemic preparedness and response (PPR) needs a One Health approach and a focus on animal health security.
• Protect Livestock Wealth - 536 million livestock and other animals of India requires measures to prevent and manage infection outbreaks.
• Food Safety - Unsafe food causes 600 M cases of foodborne diseases and 0.42 M deaths.
• Prevent Economic Losses - SARS and Avian flu are estimated to  have caused global economic loss of $50 Billion, and $30 Billion, respectively.
• Poverty Threats - Animal disease outbreaks also threaten to reverse the gains made in poverty reduction.

What is the Pandemic Fund Project?

• Pandemic Fund Project – The project  “Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for Pandemic Preparedness & Response” is launched under the G20 Pandemic Fund .

G20 Pandemic Fund was created by G20 countries under Indonesian presidency in 2022 to assist low-and middle-income countries in strengthening their capacities to identify, report and contain future pandemics.

• Nodal Ministry - Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• Objective of the Project - To enhance the country's capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to animal health threats.
• Implementation - It is being implemented through three implementing entities Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

What are the major interventions under the project?

• Augmentation of Laboratory Systems - Upgrading and expanding animal health laboratories and developing laboratory networks.
• Strengthening of Surveillance and Early Warning Systems - Enhancing early warning systems and building robust sentinel and passive surveillance mechanisms to detect potential outbreaks at an early stage and facilitate timely interventions.
• Human Resources  Development - Enhance the skills and capabilities of animal health human resources.
• Upgrading data management systems - Strengthening of Data Systems, Analytics, Risk Analysis for better risk assessment, improved decision-making, and more effective communication strategies related to animal health risks.
• Addressing Institutional Capacity Gaps - Strengthen institutional capacity at both national and regional levels by supporting the development of a disaster management framework for the livestock sector and AMR management.

What are the expected outcomes of the project?

• Outcome - Impact of the project would be
  • To reduce the risk of pathogen emergence from animals (domesticated and wildlife)
  • Prent transmission to the human population
  • endangering the health, nutritional security, and livelihoods of vulnerable populations.
• The project is designed to enhance India's animal health security through the following five key outputs

Quick facts

2019 Livestock Census

• Total livestock population of India 535.78 million.
  • 192.9 million cattle
  • 148.88 million goats
  • 109.85 million buffaloes
  • 74.26 million sheep
  • 9.06 million pigs
• All other animals taken together contributed just 0.23% of the total livestock population in India.

Reference

The Indian Express | Project to monitor animal healt