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Context :

These days, Government of India is in the process of drafting the National Wildlife Health Policy (NWHP). This is to enhance wildlife disease surveillance, research, & diagnostics.

About National Wildlife Health Policy (NWHP)

• It is Initiated by Central Zoo Authority (CZA)..
• Its Goal is to Strengthen wildlife health management & address zoonotic diseases.
  • Zoonotic diseases are also known as zoonoses. These are infectious diseases that can spread between animals & humans.
• The policy is a significant part of the National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-31). And it follows the One Health It is integrating human, animal, & environmental health.

Key Institutions & Initiatives Under NWHP

National Referral Centre for Wildlife (NRC-W)

• Its Location is Junagadh, Gujarat
• Recently, It is Inaugurated as India’s first wildlife disease diagnostic & research centre.
• Functions:
  • It investigates wildlife mortalities & outbreaks.
  • It also facilitate disease treatment & research in wildlife health management.

National Wildlife Health Information System

• It is a proposed system to streamline disease reporting & surveillance across regions.
• It will collaborate with the National Animal Disease Referral Expert System & National Animal Disease Reporting System to predict & prevent outbreaks.

Central Zoo Authority (CZA)

• It was Established in 1992 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
• Role:
  • To Strengthen wildlife conservation & health management in zoological parks.
  • To Functions as a statutory body under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Alignment with India's Wildlife Conservation Framework

National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-31)

• It outlines 103 conservation actions & 250 projects.
• It also Includes protocols for disease surveillance in tiger reserves & protected areas.

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

• It Provides legal backing for monitoring & controlling wildlife diseases.

Source: IE