World Bank Approves USD 82 Million for Animal Health Management & Preventing Zoonotic Disease in India

The World Bank has granted a loan of USD 82 million to India for the purpose of implementing global best practices in animal health management and combating endemic zoonotic diseases. The loan has a maturity period of 11.5 years, including a grace period of 4.5 years.

The World Bank emphasized that this initiative would reinforce India's One Health approach, which acknowledges the interconnection between humans, animals, and their shared environment. Zoonotic diseases refer to infections or illnesses that can be naturally transmitted from animals to humans.

Global animal disease outbreaks continue to pose significant risks to public health systems and result in substantial economic losses. Given that India has the world's largest livestock population, these risks are particularly high in the country. For instance, foot and mouth disease alone costs India over USD 3.3 billion annually.

The newly approved program aims to mitigate the risks of animal disease outbreaks by enhancing disease surveillance and veterinary services in the livestock and wildlife sectors. It will directly benefit approximately 2.9 million livestock farmers in the states of Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh by providing improved access to animal health services.

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The program will also facilitate collaboration and data sharing between state-of-the-art laboratories in the animal health sector and the human health sector. This will strengthen the overall disease management framework and enhance food safety in livestock value chains.

The significance of this initiative is underscored by the fact that around 68 per cent of India's workforce relies on farming and frequently comes into contact with domestic animals and poultry, making them more susceptible to illnesses or infections from these animals.

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The Task Team Leaders for the program highlighted the importance of evidence-based policies in managing animal diseases and zoonoses. By supporting such policies, the program aims to address food safety concerns in livestock value chains.

Overall, the World Bank's loan will contribute to the improvement of animal health management in India, reducing the likelihood of disease outbreaks and promoting the well-being of both animals and humans.

source-ANI

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