Pandemic Fund Project:
The Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the Pandemic Fund Project on “Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for Pandemic Preparedness and Response”, in New Delhi.
- It is a $25 Million initiative funded by the G20 Pandemic Fund.
- It is designed to enhance the country’s “animal health security” by upgrading and expanding animal health laboratories and developing laboratory networks.
- Implementation partners: The fund is to be implemented in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and to be utilised by August 2026.
- The Fund supports the existing initiatives of the department through enhancing disease surveillance, including genomic and environmental surveillance for early warning, laboratory infrastructure development, cross-border collaboration and will create a more integrated system for monitoring and managing “zoonotic” diseases.
- The Fund is also aimed at developing human capacity-building initiatives to enhance the skills and capabilities of animal health human resources.
- It will also be used to upgrade data management systems, and enhancing analytics capabilities will enable better risk assessment, improved decision-making and more effective communication strategies related to animal health risks.
- The project hopes to strengthen institutional capacity at both national and regional levels by supporting the development of a disaster management framework for the livestock sector.
