New Delhi: The G20 Pandemic Fund has provided a sum of USD 25 million to support India's animal husbandry and dairying department in enhancing its readiness and response to pandemics. This initiative, announced by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, aims to fortify India's animal health infrastructure, a critical component of the One Health strategy for averting pandemics.

The global pandemic situation has emphasized the imperative of integrated One Health frameworks for combatting emerging infectious diseases, frequently originating from animals. Remarkably, five out of the six public health emergencies of international concern declared by the World Health Organization in recent decades had their origins in animals. This underscores the significance of addressing animal health as an integral facet of pandemic preparedness and response.

As detailed by the ministry, "The G20 Pandemic Fund has granted approval for the proposal amounting to USD 25 million submitted by the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Government of India, for the purpose of 'Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.'"

Launched during Indonesia’s G20 Presidency, the Pandemic Fund finances critical investments aimed at reinforcing capacities for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response on national, regional, and global scales, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries. The fund has attracted approximately 350 expressions of interest and 180 comprehensive proposals during its initial call, requesting over USD 2.5 billion, while the available resources stood at USD 338 million. On July 20, 2023, the fund's governing board sanctioned 19 grants in its inaugural funding phase, directed at enhancing resilience against future pandemics across 37 nations in six regions.

The core initiatives outlined in the proposal involve enhancing and integrating disease surveillance and early warning mechanisms, modernizing and expanding the laboratory network, refining interoperable data systems, and fostering the capacity for data analytics to facilitate risk analysis and risk communication. Additionally, the proposal seeks to strengthen health security against transboundary animal diseases and reinforce India’s contributions to regional cooperation through cross-border collaboration.

The ministry clarifies that the pandemic fund will offer supplementary dedicated resources for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, fostering increased investments and improved collaboration among stakeholders, functioning as an advocacy platform as well.

The project's anticipated impact lies in mitigating the risk of pathogens originating in animals, both domesticated and wild, and transitioning to the human population, thereby jeopardizing the well-being, nutritional security, and livelihoods of vulnerable communities, the ministry emphasized.

The implementation of this project will be undertaken in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, which assumes the role of the lead implementing body, alongside the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), according to supplementary information provided by the ministry.

G20 Trade and Investment Meeting in Jaipur: August 24

India, WHO Launch Global Initiative on Digital Health at G20 Summit Today