The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India on Digitalization of Vaccine Cold Chain Management, Capacity Building, and Communication Planning.

The MOU was signed today at “We the People Hall”, UNDP Country office, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi between Smt. Alka Upadhyay, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Ms. Caitlin Wiesen. UNDP Resident Representative in India. This strategic partnership aims to enhance the digitalization of vaccine cold chain management, capacity building, and communication planning in India.

Addressing the Meeting Smt. Alka Upadhyay highlighted Strong and efficient supply chains equipped with reliable cold chain equipment are vital to increase immunization coverage and outreach.  She added, Considering the large human population and livestock population in India with 142.86 Crore people, 53.57 Crore farm animals and 85.18 Crore poultry population, catering all the veterinary services to the doorstep of farmers and to ensure the nutritional security of the large population is a challenge.

She further explained “With digitalization of the entire vaccine stock management system and providing real-time information on vaccine stocks and flows, and storage temperatures, the inequities in vaccine supply will be addressed by managing constraints of infrastructure, management information systems, and human resources. The vaccine cold chain management process, she added will be monitored with the help of new age technology and artificial intelligence through the Animal vaccine Intelligence Network (AVIN) developed by UNDP.

UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, while signing the MoU, said that “Amid confluence of frequent zoonotic disease outbreak and climate change, animals and the communities engaged in rearing them are increasingly vulnerable. She added that through this partnership with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, UNDP will support and strengthen India’s first animal vaccine supply chain management system ensuring communities and animals are protected and further mitigating the risks at the human-animal-environment interface.”

Smt Sarita Chauhan, Joint Secretary (LH), DAHD while explaining  the objectives of collaboration mentioned that, the essential but arduous work of real time monitoring of the vast cold chain infrastructure available across the country will be possible with the help of new age technology and artificial intelligence through the cold chain monitoring system developed by UNDP, which will support the Department to manage and deliver vaccines across the country in the right quantity, right quality, at the right time and right temperature with supportive supervision.

Notably, UNDP and DAHD will jointly work on Strengthening Animal Health with One Health approach at centre. This step will contribute to creation of a digital future via digitalization and remote temperature monitoring of cold chain by UNDP India. This will ensure that vaccines are stored in an adequate temperature of prescribed limit of 2-8 degree Celsius which is important to increase immunization coverage and outreach. Currently, DAHD is supplying FMD (Foot and Mouth diseases) vaccine worth approximately Rs. 900 Crore this year and aims to cover 50 Crore large animals and 20 Crore small animals in FMD vaccination programme. 

Through this MoU, technical assistance will be extended to CEAH to enhance its capabilities in animal husbandry practices. Other aspects of MoU covers support in planning and development of effective and inclusive livestock insurance programme and crafting and implementation of an effective communication plan for the department which will help in ensuring better propagation and outreach of the department’s activities. The partnership will also work on extension services and skill development initiatives to improve the technical know-how and capacities of stakeholders in the animal husbandry sector.

This collaboration marks a significant step towards enhancing animal health and husbandry practices in India, leveraging UNDP’s global expertise and DAHD’s mandate. Together, DAHD and UNDP aim to create a robust, efficient, and inclusive framework for managing animal health and welfare in the country.