Govt conducts 5-day mock drill to assess zoonotic pandemic preparedness

The central government on Tuesday announced that it had conducted a five-day mock drill named Vishanu Yudh Abhyaas (Virus War Exercise) to assess pandemic preparedness and response to zoonotic disease outbreaks.

Zoonotic diseases are infections that spread between people and animals, such as avian influenza (bird flu), Nipah, and Zika. These infections are caused by germs such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi.

“A five-day drill was conducted under the aegis of the National One Health Mission in one district of Rajasthan (Ajmer district), with the exercise aimed to evaluate the readiness and response of a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) composed of experts from human health, animal husbandry, and wildlife sectors,” an official in the know said.

The NOHM, set up in 2022, is a cross-ministerial effort to review areas of focus from a human health standpoint as well as livestock and wildlife aspects.

“The drill provided valuable insights to inform future strategies to enhance India's preparedness and response to zoonotic disease outbreaks, fostering a coordinated and efficient approach across all relevant sectors,” the official added.