NADCP contributing to more disease-secure livestock sector in India
New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) More than 39 crore livestock have been registered on the Bharat Pashudhan Portal, and 4,019 Mobile Veterinary Units have provided doorstep services to 136 lakh farmers and treated 276 lakh animals, a government factsheet said on Saturday.
The National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) represents one of India’s largest livestock health initiatives aimed at controlling and eradicating Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis through nationwide vaccination and surveillance.
The programme has administered 147.16 crore FMD vaccine doses, benefiting 8.04 crore farmers. Strengthened immunity has contributed to a significant reduction in disease incidence, with reported FMD outbreaks declining from 132 in 2019 to 40 by 2025 and Brucellosis outbreaks falling from 22 in 2019 to 15 in 2025, according to the factsheet.
“The NSP antibody prevalence has declined from 20.8 per cent in 2019 to 8.1 per cent in 2025, indicating reduced circulation of FMD through evidence-based surveillance and sustained disease control efforts.
“There has been no outbreak of FMD caused by Serotype Asia-1 for the last three years in the country. The programme is supported by strengthened veterinary infrastructure, digital livestock databases, research institutions, and One Health initiatives,” the official statement noted.
By integrating disease control, digital monitoring, and pandemic preparedness, the NADCP is contributing to a more disease-secure livestock sector in India.
The programme targets 100 per cent vaccination of all livestock against FMD twice a year and one time vaccination against Brucellosis in 4-8 months old female bovine calves in their lifetime.
As per the 20th Livestock Census 2019, the total livestock population is 535.78 million, including 302.79 million bovines.
The large livestock population underscores the importance of animal health and well-being.
However, infectious diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis have historically caused substantial economic losses due to reduced milk yield, reproductive failure, and trade restrictions.
Moreover, the government has integrated disease control, veterinary services and animal healthcare under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP), enabling a more comprehensive and sustainable animal health framework.
Under the revised LHDCP, NADCP, the Livestock Health and Disease Control (LH&DC) component, and the Pashu Aushadhi initiative have been subsumed into a single umbrella scheme to facilitate integrated implementation and effective management of livestock health interventions.
The total budget outlay for the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) for the financial year 2026–27 is Rs 2,010 crore.
–IANS
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