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HealthAndhra Pradesh to develop action plan against zoonotic diseases
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The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to create a comprehensive action plan to prevent zoonotic diseases transmitted from animals to humans. A three-day workshop organized by the State Health Department with support from NCDC, CDC, and JHPIEGO began in Vijayawada on July 28, 2026. Officials from Health, Animal Husbandry, Forests, Environment, Agriculture, and Fisheries departments, along with medical and veterinary experts, discussed 45 diseases including scrub typhus, anthrax, dengue, Zika, COVID-19, and rabies. Participants will prioritize diseases based on severity and public health risk, strengthen surveillance systems, enhance diagnostic lab capacity, improve inter-departmental coordination, train personnel, and increase community awareness. The final priority list and recommendations will form the state action plan.
Source report
Published - July 28, 2026 09:25 pm IST | VIJAYAWADA
The Hindu Bureau
The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to formulate a comprehensive action plan to prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases—illnesses transmitted from animals to humans—through early detection and coordinated surveillance.
According to a press release issued by the Department of Health, Medical and Family Welfare, the action plan will identify zoonotic diseases that pose a significant risk to public health and outline measures to prevent their transmission to humans.
Workshop Underway in Vijayawada
As part of the initiative, a three-day workshop began in Vijayawada on Tuesday. It is organised by the State Health Department with support from:
- National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO)
Participants and Discussions
Officials from the Departments of Health, Animal Husbandry, Forests, Environment, Agriculture, and Fisheries, along with medical and veterinary experts, representatives of academic institutions, and partner organisations, discussed zoonotic diseases that require immediate attention.
The officials will prepare a priority list after assessing diseases based on:
- Severity
- Risk to public health
- Availability of preventive measures
During the workshop, participants reviewed an initial list of 45 diseases, including:
- Scrub typhus
- Anthrax
- Histoplasmosis
- Dengue
- Zika
- Yellow fever
- COVID-19
- Rabies
Proposed Measures
Participants also suggested measures to:
- Strengthen surveillance systems for early detection of diseases in humans and animals
- Enhance the capacity of diagnostic laboratories
- Improve inter-departmental coordination
- Train medical and veterinary personnel
- Increase community awareness
Next Steps
At the end of the three-day workshop, participants will finalise the State’s priority list of zoonotic diseases and prepare recommendations on prevention, surveillance, laboratory testing, and response strategies. These will form part of the State action plan.
Key Attendees
- Damodar Naidu, Director of Animal Husbandry
- Sukarma Tanwar, Assistant Director, NCDC
- Officials from the Health and other departments
Source
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Regional
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Andhra Pradesh to develop action plan against zoonotic diseases