Five years after Covid outbreak, National Wildlife Health Policy takes shape

 Five years after Covid-19 was declared a pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that likely jumped from bats to humans possibly through an intermediary animal host, the Centre is reviewing an interim draft of a National Wildlife Health Policy (NWHP) that has proposed integrated wildlife disease surveillance, research and setting up of new diagnostic labs, The Indian Express has learnt.

Five years after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that likely jumped from bats to humans possibly through an intermediary animal host, the Centre is reviewing an interim draft of a National Wildlife Health Policy (NWHP) that has proposed integrated wildlife disease surveillance, research and setting up of new diagnostic labs, The Indian Express has learnt.


Following a ministerial review and revisions, inter-ministerial consultations are likely, it has been gathered.


With over 60 per cent of emerging infectious diseases impacting humans getting transmitted from animals to humans as per the government, the concept of One Health – which focuses on approaching human, animal and environmental health together – has assumed importance.


The NWHP will align with the Centre’s National One Health Mission, which coordinates cross-sectoral efforts for pandemic preparedness, integrated disease control and disease outbreak responses.


Wildlife acts as a reservoir of pathogens and thus monitoring their health, in the wild and in captivity, has become an imperative. As per government data, India has a network of 1,014 protected areas which includes 106 national parks, 573 wildlife sanctuaries, 115 conservation reserves and 220 community reserves spread over 5.32 per cent of its geographical area. These areas harbour terrestrial, avian and marine species.


The Environment Ministry’s Central Zoo Authority (CZA) is anchoring the policy drafting, the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser has driven the consultations with subject experts, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay is supporting these agencies in the policy formulation. A core working group consisting of these three bodies and private consultancy firm Ernst and Young worked on the policy formulation.


Seven working groups gave key recommendations on themes ranging from disease surveillance and wildlife health research to capacity building and regulatory framework, it has been gathered. These working groups held discussions for about four months last year and gave thematic recommendations. For instance, the disease surveillance-related group proposed a surveillance system with a focus on terrestrial, marine and avian ecosystems


The National Referral Centre for Wildlife (NRC-W), whose foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Junagadh, Gujarat on March 3, will serve as a key hub of the new framework on wildlife health management. NRC-W will act as a referral centre to investigate wildlife mortalities, outbreak events and also facilitate disease diagnostics, treatments, and could be one of the nodal authorities for surveillance.


Experts involved in the policy drafting explained on the condition of anonymity that currently, a lot of animal disease surveillance, research and reporting happens in silos. “The environment ministry is the nodal authority for the implementation of the Wildlife Protection Act and coordinates the protection of wildlife habitats with states. But a lot of surveillance and reporting happens through the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Animal Husbandry,” an expert said.


“Meanwhile, wildlife biologists are also working independently on monitoring, but there are gaps in information exchange. A unified policy will immensely help in cross-sectoral collaborations,” the expert added.


A national wildlife health database and a wildlife health information system are two of the key policy recommendations. The former can act as a centralised repository of real-time or near-time surveillance data, historical data along with databases from animal husbandry and human health. The wildlife health information system, it is learnt, has been proposed to streamline disease surveillance, facility-level reporting and spatial-temporal data.


Another expert associated with the drafting process explained, “We already have the National Animal Disease Referral Expert System and National Animal Disease Reporting System, which collate data and use algorithms to forecast outbreaks and prevent them. A new wildlife health database and information system could work in tandem with the existing systems.”


The establishment of satellite diagnostic labs is another broad theme emerging in the policy. These labs, those aware of the matter said, will help enhance wildlife disease diagnostics and timely detection. These could be set up near important forest habitats, it is proposed.


The recommendations also included stepping up engagement with communities, for instance, to improve vaccination among cattle near national parks.