India’s First Virus War Exercise ‘Vishanu Yuddh Abhyas’ Held in Rajasthan
India conducted its first national mock drill, ‘Vishanu Yuddh Abhyas’ (Virus War Exercise), in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district from August 27 to August 31. Organized under the National One Health Mission, the drill aimed to assess pandemic preparedness by simulating a zoonotic disease outbreak.
Key Participants
The exercise involved multiple stakeholders, including:
- National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
- Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
- Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)
- Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD)
- Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
- Rajasthan State Administration
- State Directorate of Health Services (DHS)
- State Veterinary Department
- State Forest Department
- AIIMS Jodhpur BSL-3 Lab
- District Administration
- Chief District Medical Officer
- District Veterinary Officer
- Community Health Centre doctors and staff
Exercise Components
The drill was structured around two key components:
- Investigation and identification of the virus responsible for the mock outbreak
- Actions initiated to control the spread of illness across human and animal populations
Independent observers monitored the response, which was found to be mostly prompt and appropriate. However, some areas requiring further improvement were identified.
Minister’s Remarks
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, JP Nadda, appreciated this first-of-its-kind exercise, highlighting the role of One Health Mission in fostering collaborations to address the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment holistically and sustainably.
Conclusion
The Vishanu Yuddh Abhyas was a successful exercise that provided valuable insights to inform future strategies to enhance India’s preparedness and response to zoonotic disease outbreaks, fostering a coordinated and efficient approach across all relevant sectors.
Doubts Revealed
Virus War Exercise -: A Virus War Exercise is a practice event where people pretend there is a virus outbreak to see how well they can handle it.
Vishanu Yuddh Abhyas -: This is the name of the Virus War Exercise in Hindi. ‘Vishanu’ means virus, ‘Yuddh’ means war, and ‘Abhyas’ means practice.
Rajasthan -: Rajasthan is a state in India, known for its deserts and palaces. Ajmer is a city in Rajasthan.
National One Health Mission -: This is a program in India that focuses on the health of people, animals, and the environment together.
Zoonotic disease -: A zoonotic disease is a sickness that can spread from animals to humans.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda -: JP Nadda is a politician in India who was in charge of the country’s health department.
Stakeholders -: Stakeholders are people or groups who are involved in or affected by a project or event.