National Wildlife Health Policy

News– The Government of India is drafting a National Wildlife Health Policy (NWHP) to strengthen wildlife disease surveillance, research, and diagnostics. National Wildlife Health Policy.

About National Wildlife Health Policy

• The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) launched the National Wildlife Health Policy (NWHP) to improve wildlife health management and address zoonotic diseases.
• This initiative is an integral part of the National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-31) and follows the One Health approach, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

Key Institutions & Initiatives under NWHP

National Referral Centre for Wildlife (NRC-W)

• Recently inaugurated in Junagadh, Gujarat, NRC-W serves as a central hub for wildlife health management.
• It is India’s first dedicated wildlife disease diagnostic and research centre.
• The centre investigates wildlife mortalities, disease outbreaks, and provides treatment solutions.

National Wildlife Health Information System

• A proposed initiative under NWHP to streamline disease reporting and surveillance across different regions.
• It will collaborate with the National Animal Disease Referral Expert System and the National Animal Disease Reporting System to forecast and mitigate potential disease outbreaks.

Central Zoo Authority (CZA)

• It is a statutory body established under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• It was formed in 1992 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
• It works to enhance wildlife conservation efforts and maintain the health of animals in zoological parks.

Alignment with India’s Wildlife Conservation Framework

National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-31)

• It comprises 103 conservation actions and 250 projects.
• It introduces standard protocols for disease surveillance in tiger reserves and protected areas.

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

• It provides a legal framework for monitoring and controlling wildlife diseases to safeguard biodiversity.