India Strengthens Animal Health Framework: Key Reforms, Indigenous Vaccines, and Global Recognition Reviewed at 9th ECAH Meeting
India is on a transformative journey of systems reforms with respect to animal health management, and the 9th Empowered Committee for Animal Health (ECAH) meeting in New Delhi on July 25, 2025 illustrated many examples, including policy shifts, vaccination coverage, and multi-national collaborations. The meeting, convened by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), signified one of the steps toward India’s commitment to ‘modernizing and strengthening the animal health ecosystem.’
Chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, and co-chaired by DAHD Secretary Alka Upadhyaya, the meeting brought together senior experts and stakeholders from across India’s veterinary and scientific community. The agenda focused on reviewing achievements, refining strategies, and setting clear priorities to combat animal diseases and enhance biosecurity.
Major Vaccination Milestones
The committee reported remarkable progress in India’s nationwide vaccination programmes. To date, more than 124 crore doses have been administered against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), nearly 29 crore for Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), 4.77 crore for Brucellosis, and close to 88 lakh doses for Classical Swine Fever. These activities are being tracked digitally via the Bharat Pashudhan mobile app to facilitate a data-driven approach to disease management.
The government is also engaged in creating FMD-Free Zones across nine states under the new Animal Vaccine Intelligence Network (AVIN) to monitor the delivery of vaccines via cold chain logistics in real time.
Boosting Self-Reliance in Animal Health Products
All vaccines under national control programmes are being manufactured domestically, reinforcing India’s goal of vaccine self-sufficiency. This will not only help to create a demand for the domestic market, but it establishes India as a dependable worldwide exporter of animal vaccines.
Policy reforms discussed in the meeting will help to facilitate an improvement in the regulatory environment for veterinary drugs, vaccines and feed additives, enabling a faster delivery of quality animal health products across the country.
International Recognition and Enhanced Global Standing
India’s animal health initiatives have received strong international endorsement. The Equine Disease-Free Compartment (EDFC) at the RVC Centre & College in Meerut Cantonment has been officially recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). This certification allows for the international export of Indian sport horses, boosting equine trade opportunities.
Moreover, 44 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) compartments have been granted approval indicating India’s readiness to keep disease-free poultry areas and increase global poultry exports.
In terms of global veterinary science, India has risen to a new high. The ICAR-NIHSAD laboratory in Bhopal has been acknowledged as a Category A Rinderpest Holding Facility by the WOAH and the FAO, as one of only six institutions in the world. In addition, reference diagnostic laboratories Hisar and Lucknow were recognized for their specialized capability.
Strengthening Surveillance and Diagnostics
To ensure better pandemic preparedness and rapid disease detection, two nationwide surveillance platforms have been developed: the Indian Network of Genomic Surveillance (INGeS) and the Indian Network on Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) and Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs).
Action is being taken to obtain NABL accreditation for animal disease diagnostic laboratories at the central and state level, along with an interactive digital platform, “Rate My Lab,” to enhance transparency, accountability, and performance benchmarking in veterinary diagnostics.
Multi-Stakeholder Engagement
The ECAH meeting included senior representatives of multiple key scientific and regulatory bodies such as ICMR, CDSCO, DBT, the Ministry of Ayush, etc., showing the cooperative way to tackle issues affecting the animal health sector.
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