PIB TrackerFMD outbreaks fell from 132 to 40 after 147 crore vaccine doses
The National Animal Disease Control Programme has delivered 147.16 crore Foot and Mouth Disease doses since 2019, with the natural-infection antibody marker down from 20.8% to 8.1%.
What happened
- 147.16 crore FMD vaccine doses have been delivered, benefiting 8.04 crore farmers.
- Reported FMD outbreaks fell from 132 in 2019 to 40 by 2025.
- NSP antibody prevalence fell from 20.8% to 8.1% over the same period.
- 4,019 Mobile Veterinary Units have treated 276 lakh animals for 136 lakh farmers.
- The LHDCP umbrella scheme carries a 2026-27 outlay of ₹2,010 crore.
For Prelims
- NADCP: the National Animal Disease Control Programme, launched September 2019 against FMD and Brucellosis.
- FMD: a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals; the serotypes in India are O, A and Asia1.
- Brucellosis: a reproductive disease caused by Brucella abortus; there is no curative treatment in bovines, so vaccination is the control.
- The schedule: FMD twice a year for all susceptible livestock; Brucellosis once in a lifetime for female bovine calves aged 4-8 months.
- NSP prevalence: non-structural protein antibodies indicate natural infection rather than vaccination — down from 20.8% to 8.1%.
- Bharat Pashudhan Portal: the national digital livestock database; over 39 crore animals registered, each with a 12-digit Tag ID.
- MVUs: 4,019 Mobile Veterinary Units across 29 states and UTs, reached on toll-free 1962.
- LHDCP: the umbrella scheme subsuming NADCP, the LH&DC component and Pashu Aushadhi; outlay ₹2,010 crore for 2026-27.
For UPSC: The best-documented mass animal vaccination programme India runs, with surveillance data attached. Use it for animal husbandry and rural livelihoods, One Health and zoonotic pandemic preparedness.
What it is NOT: Falling outbreak counts are not disease freedom — India has not been declared free of FMD, and alignment with international FMD-freedom standards is listed as a future priority.
For Mains
Syllabus: GS3.4 · GS2.13 · Linkage L2
Anchor
A livestock vaccination drive is a public health programme in disguise: the surveillance that protects milk yields is also the country's early warning system for the next zoonosis.
Substantiation (data)
147.16 crore FMD doses for 8.04 crore farmers, outbreaks down from 132 to 40, NSP antibody prevalence down from 20.8% to 8.1%, and over 39 crore animals registered on the Bharat Pashudhan Portal.
Exemplification
The US$25 million Pandemic Fund project on animal health security, run with the ADB, FAO and World Bank, added genomic and environmental surveillance and produced Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines and a Crisis Management Plan for animal diseases.
Problematisation
Protective immunity against serotype A stands at 71.7 per cent, below the other two serotypes, and migratory small ruminants entered coverage only in 2024 — the residual risk sits in the hardest populations to reach.
Way-forward
Move from outbreak counts to accredited laboratory confirmation and genomic surveillance so India can pursue recognised FMD-freedom status rather than declining incidence.
Position
India's animal health system has earned the right to be judged against international disease-freedom standards rather than by doses administered.
Deploys into: Agriculture and animal husbandry + health (GS3.4, GS2.13) · One Health, zoonotic preparedness and the productivity case for livestock disease control.
PIB Backgrounder / Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying · 2026-08-22 · PRID 2302242 · PIB source ↗