DAHD Hosts Virtual Awareness Program on Zoonotic Diseases for Women Livestock Farmers

New Delhi: On the eve of International Women’s Day, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, organized a nationwide virtual program to raise awareness about zoonotic diseases. The event, conducted through the Common Service Centres (CSC) network, saw participation from over 1 lakh women livestock farmers, with 2,050 camps set up by Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) across 21 States and Union Territories.

The session was chaired by DAHD Secretary, Alka Upadhyaya, who interacted with women dairy farmers, discussing the health and vaccination status of their livestock. She highlighted the crucial role women play in the dairy sector, particularly in Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Community Linked Farmers (CLFs), and Self-Help Groups (SHGs), which have collectively expanded credit access and market opportunities.

Upadhyaya encouraged women to take advantage of central government schemes in the animal husbandry sector, particularly those supporting goat and sheep rearing, which offer high returns at minimal investment. She emphasized the importance of preventing zoonotic diseases to curb the risk of animal-to-human transmission and avoid productivity losses, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional Secretary, DAHD, Varsha Joshi, underscored the strong link between animal husbandry and public health. She stressed the importance of sustainable and hygienic livestock practices, clean milk production, and biosecurity measures to prevent disease transmission.

The virtual session featured expert discussions on disease prevention, ethnoveterinary medicine, and best practices for maintaining livestock health. The initiative reinforced the government’s commitment to empowering women in animal husbandry while promoting sustainable and disease-free livestock farming.