Why in News? 

Under the aegis of National One Health Mission (NOHM), a comprehensive national mock drill, "Vishanu Yuddh Abhyas" (Virus War Exercise), was conducted. 

• Place: Ajmer district of Rajasthan state 
• Date: 27th August 2024 to 31st August 2024  
• Objective: To assess pandemic preparedness.  

About Vishanu Yuddh Abhyas 

• Aim: To evaluate the readiness and response of the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) composed of experts from human health, animal husbandry and wildlife sectors.  

How this Mock Drill was conducted?

• A mock zoonotic disease outbreak scenario was created to simulate a real-world outbreak. 

Stakeholders of the Drill

• 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 and State Forest Department 
• AIIMS Jodhpur BSL-3 Lab (one of the 19 National BSL-3 Network Laboratories)  
• District Administration, Chief District Medical Officer 
• District Veterinary Officer and Community Health Centre doctors and Staff 
• 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.  

Outcomes of the Vishanu Yuddh Abhyas 

This was successful exercise that provided valuable insights to inform future strategies to enhance India's preparedness and response to zoonotic disease outbreaks, fostering coordinated and efficient approach across all the relevant sectors.