India Tests One Health Response in National Zoonotic Disease Drill

The exercise involved a broad range of institutions working under the One Health framework, which promotes close collaboration between animal health, human health, and environmental sectors.

India has completed a five-day nationwide mock exercise to strengthen its readiness for animal health emergencies and zoonotic disease outbreaks, bringing together veterinary, medical, wildlife, laboratory, and administrative agencies to test how they would respond to a large-scale public health threat.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, conducted the third national-level Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas (PYA) from 29 June to 3 July 2026 at Khari village in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha district.

Held under the National One Health Mission, the exercise was designed to evaluate India's preparedness for managing animal diseases that have the potential to spread to humans. It assessed coordination among multiple sectors responsible for disease surveillance, outbreak control, laboratory testing, and emergency response.

The mock drill was based on a simulated outbreak of Influenza A (H1N1) in animals with the potential to spill over into human and wildlife populations. Participants worked through every stage of an emergency response, from the first disease alert to containment measures and public communication.

Multiple agencies test coordinated response

The exercise involved a broad range of institutions working under the One Health framework, which promotes close collaboration between animal health, human health, and environmental sectors.

Participating organisations included the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and laboratories within the National BSL-3 Network, including ICAR-NIHSAD Bhopal and AIIMS Bhopal.

State and district departments of animal husbandry, health, forests, and the Madhya Pradesh administration also took part. Experts from the different sectors worked together under the guidance of the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to evaluate surveillance, field investigations, laboratory diagnosis, biosecurity, movement controls, risk assessment, and communication systems.

Exercise highlights importance of regular preparedness

DAHD Secretary Naresh Pal Gangwar said the exercise demonstrated how the One Health approach can strengthen India's ability to detect and respond to zoonotic disease threats through coordinated action across sectors. The programme concluded with a debriefing chaired by the Animal Husbandry Commissioner, where officials from DAHD, NCDC, the Madhya Pradesh Animal Husbandry Department, observers, and field teams reviewed operational observations, identified gaps, and discussed improvements for future emergency responses.

Officials said the findings will help strengthen emergency protocols, improve inter-agency coordination, and build greater capacity for responding to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases. The successful completion of Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas reinforces the government's commitment to developing resilient veterinary and public health systems capable of responding quickly to disease outbreaks.