By Our Staff Reporter
Udham Singh Nagar, 21 Mar: A ‘One Health Camp’, was organised in Gular Bhoj, Udham Singh Nagar, with the collaboration of partners including One Health Support Unit (OHSU), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, GoI; Brooke India, Animal Husbandry Department (AHD), Uttarakhand; Health and Family Welfare Department; Uttarakhand; ICAR-National Research Centre on Equine (NRCE, Hisar) under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) with Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GoI; Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GoI; College of Veterinary Sciences, GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, etc., to benefit the Qalandar Community.
The programme was held as part of the pilot interventions of the One Health project in Uttarakhand and Karnataka states by the Union Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), with the financial support of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the implementing agency. A total of 300 humans and 100 animals including equines, goat and cattle were present at the camp. This is the first global event where all stakeholders were actively participating at the community level to implement the concept of One Health.
Ruksana Begum, who is the founder of Prayas Ashwa Kalyan Samuha, inaugurated the One Health Camp, which emphasised the importance of the “Community First” approach of the programme. This approach acknowledges the vital role of the community in the initiative’s success.
The Animal Husbandry Department (AHD), Uttarakhand, facilitated the animal health check-ups, treatment of sick animals, deworming of animals, prescription of medicines, and referral to vet hospitals for further treatment services. They also performed blood and fecal examination of animals for haemoprotozoans in blood and parasitic eggs in faeces of animals with the help of NRC, Equine. The Health and Family Welfare Department, Uttarakhand, performed health check-up of community people, prescribed medicines and distributed dewormers to the participants. They also performed some haematological and biochemical investigations with the help of ICMR.
ICMR performed nutritional markers testing, microbiological testing, ticks survey, screening for zoonotic diseases with the support of Lab of Doon Medical College, Dehradun. ICMR-NIV, Pune, and Vector Control Research Centre of ICMR, Puducherry, were also involved with ICMR in performing these tests. NRCE, Hisar, collected samples for Glanders and Trypanosomosis from animals and humans. Human samples were also tested by NRCE for Glanders.
Various extension activities including orientation on One Health, awareness on zoonoses, biosecurity practices to prevent infectious and zoonotic diseases, good animal husbandry practices were carried out during the event. This One Health camp has proved to be a great opportunity to improve the health and welfare of, both, humans and animals, by bringing together a diverse group of experts and community members to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and work towards well-being of all.
