Draft National Wildlife Health Policy (NWHP)

Context

Five years after the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre is reviewing a draft National Wildlife Health Policy (NWHP) to strengthen wildlife ailment surveillance and studies.

Key Highlights

• The policy proposes incorporated monitoring structures, new diagnostic laboratories, and more desirable studies efforts to track and prevent zoonotic diseases.
• Five years after the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre is reviewing an average draft of the NWHP to decorate natural world ailment tracking and research.
• The policy proposes incorporated surveillance systems, new diagnostic labs, and move-sectoral collaborations to deal with zoonotic diseases risks.
• It aims to mitigate risks of natural world-foundation pathogens, like SARS-CoV-2, through improving early detection and reaction mechanisms.

Alignment with One Health Approach

• Over 60% of rising infectious diseases in people originate from animals.
• In this context, the NWHP aligns with the National One Health Mission, which integrates efforts throughout human, animal, and environmental health sectors.
• Monitoring wildlife, both inside the wild and in captivity, has turned out to be important for pandemic preparedness.

Bridging Information Gaps and Cross-Sectoral Coordination

• Currently, wildlife disease surveillance is fragmented throughout ministries and independent studies efforts.
• The policy aims to integrate facts from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, and Department of Animal Husbandry to ensure better coordination.

Establishment of Wildlife Health Databases

• The policy proposes a National Wildlife Health Database and a Wildlife Health Information System to centralize actual-time and ancient statistics.
• These will complement present systems just like the National Animal Disease Referral Expert System to be expecting and save you outbreaks.

National Referral Centre for Wildlife (NRC-W)

• Zoonotic diseases account for 60% of emerging infectious diseases global, with 72% originating from wildlife.
• India has experienced several localized but high outbreaks, which includes Kyasanur Forest Disease and Nipah virus.
• These incidents highlight the pressing need for efficient disease monitoring in wild animal populations and continuous health surveillance of captive wild animals in zoological institutions throughout the country.
  • Against this backdrop, Centre has established the NRC-W.
• The NRC-W has been established in Junagadh, Gujarat.
  • The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) under the Union Environment Ministry has organized blueprints for its development, that specialize in emerging infectious diseases, natural world ailment surveillance, and outbreak control.
• Need for NRC-W: Addressing Zoonotic Threats
  • The status quo of NRC-W is important due to the growing emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases.
  • Out of 1,407 human pathogens, 816 are zoonotic, posing a significant health risk.
  • NRC-W will fortify disorder detection, studies, and secure handling of animals, stopping spillovers from wildlife to humans.

Advanced Research and Surveillance Facilities

• NRC-W can be prepared with the recent investigation and surveillance technology to detect diseases in both animals and people.
• It can even support skill-based education, records analytics, and policy development to decorate wildlife health control.
• NRC-W will bridge the space among wildlife health, human health, and farm animals packages, ensuring a holistic approach to One Health.

Collaborative Approach for Wildlife Health

• NRC-W will work in collaboration with national and international institutes.
• The CZA will act as the nodal corporation, ensuring coordination among zoos and wildlife health packages across India.

Source: The Indian Express

UPSC Prelims Practice Question

Q. If a particular plant species is placed under Schedule VI of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, what is the implication? (2020)

(a) A licence is required to cultivate that plant.  

(b) Such a plant cannot be cultivated under any circumstances.  

(c) It is a Genetically Modified crop plant.  

(d) Such a plant is invasive and harmful to the ecosystem.  

Ans: (a)

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