World Bank approves funds to prevent endemic zoonotic diseases

The World Bank has approved $82 million as loan to India towards the adoption of global best practices for animal health management. The objective is to develop systems to prevent, detect, and respond to endemic zoonotic, transboundary, and emerging infectious diseases. The funding will strengthen India’s ‘One Health’ approach, which recognises that people and animals are connected with their shared environment, a bank statement said.

The $82 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) uses the program-for-results (PforR) financing instrument that links disbursement of funds directly to the achievement of specific program results. The loan has a maturity of 11.5 years with a grace period of 4.5 years.

The development comes in the backdrop of increasing instances of animal disease outbreaks globally and the risk it poses to public health systems and associated economic costs. With India having the largest livestock population in the world, these risks are particularly high. For example, foot and mouth disease alone costs the country more than $3.3 billion annually.

The Animal Health System Support for One Health Programme will support India’s Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme, which seeks to control animal diseases and zoonoses.

“The new programme will help reduce the risks of animal disease outbreaks by improving disease surveillance and veterinary services in the livestock and wildlife sectors,” said Auguste Tano Kouame, the World Bank’s Country Director for India. “At least 2.9 million livestock farmers will have increased access to improved animal health services in the participating states of Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh.”

Through state-of-the-art laboratories, the programme will also strengthen collaboration and data sharing with the human health sector. It will also enhance food quality and safety in animal products, especially in livestock and wet markets.

The task leaders of the programme pointed out that in India, around 68 percent of the workforce relies on farming and remains in close contact with domestic animals and poultry, thereby becoming frequently exposed to sick or infected animals. They hope that by supporting evidence-based policies on animal disease and zoonoses management, the programme will address food safety in livestock value chains.