India’s livestock health landscape has undergone a significant transformation since the launch of the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) in 2019, with sustained vaccination, disease surveillance, digital monitoring and strengthened veterinary services helping reduce the incidence of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis across the country.
Launched to control and eradicate the two major livestock diseases, NADCP has emerged as one of India’s largest animal health interventions. The programme has so far administered 147.16 crore FMD vaccine doses, benefiting 8.04 crore farmers.
The impact is reflected in the decline in reported disease outbreaks. FMD outbreaks fell from 132 in 2019 to 40 in 2025, while reported Brucellosis outbreaks declined from 22 to 15 during the same period. The programme has also contributed to improved immunity among livestock through sustained vaccination and evidence-based surveillance.
According to the data under the programme, average protective immunity against FMD virus serotypes O, A and Asia1 stands at 78.1 per cent, 71.7 per cent and 77.6 per cent, respectively. Notably, there has been no outbreak of FMD caused by Serotype Asia-1 in India for the last three years.
A nationwide vaccination strategy
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and pigs. It can reduce milk production, slow animal growth, affect reproductive performance and lower the working capacity of draft animals. The disease can also lead to trade restrictions on Indian livestock in international markets.
The NADCP addresses the risk through mass vaccination of eligible livestock every six months. The programme also supports surveillance, cold-chain infrastructure, outbreak investigation, virus isolation and typing, and regulation of animal movement through quarantine and check-posts.
Brucellosis, meanwhile, primarily affects the reproductive system of cattle and buffaloes and can cause fertility and lactation problems, affecting milk and meat production. Since there is no curative treatment for bovines, vaccination is considered the most effective and sustainable control measure.
Under NADCP, female bovine calves aged four to eight months receive a one-time Brucellosis vaccination during their lifetime. Post-vaccination monitoring in 2025 recorded seroconversion rates of 75.63 per cent among cattle calves and 67.17 per cent among buffalo calves.
The programme has also expanded its focus to migratory livestock populations. Since 2024, FMD vaccination has been extended to pastoral sheep and goats in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, helping reduce the risk of disease transmission along migratory routes.
Surveillance backed by data
Disease control under NADCP goes beyond vaccination. Sero-surveillance and sero-monitoring are used to assess population-level exposure, immunity and post-vaccination antibody responses.
Sero-surveillance helps estimate disease exposure and immunity across populations, while sero-monitoring tracks antibody levels over time to assess the effectiveness of vaccination.
The programme also involves ear-tagging livestock, registering animals and uploading their information to the Bharat Pashudhan Portal. By July 2026, more than 39 crore livestock had been registered on the platform, with each animal assigned a unique 12-digit Tag ID.
The digital system integrates livestock registration with FMD and Brucellosis vaccination data, enabling real-time monitoring and improved traceability. AI-enabled analytics, vaccination traceability, real-time dashboards and evidence-based planning are expected to further strengthen disease surveillance and resource allocation.
Veterinary care reaches the doorstep
Alongside disease prevention, the government has strengthened last-mile veterinary services through Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs).
A total of 4,019 MVUs are currently operational across 29 States and Union Territories. Operating through the toll-free number 1962, these units have provided doorstep veterinary services to 136 lakh farmers and treated 276 lakh animals.
Farmer outreach has also been supported through Multi-Purpose Artificial Insemination Technicians in Rural India (MAITRIs), with 39,810 technicians trained with financial support.
The programme is supported by veterinary infrastructure, cold-chain facilities, research institutions and vaccine development and quality-testing systems. Financial support is also provided to key ICAR institutions for vaccine research, surveillance, sero-surveillance, disease modelling and state-wise sampling.
Integrating animal health under a wider framework
Building on NADCP, the government has integrated animal disease control, veterinary services and healthcare under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP).
Under the revised framework, NADCP, the Livestock Health and Disease Control component and the Pashu Aushadhi initiative have been brought under a single umbrella scheme to enable integrated implementation of livestock health interventions.
The total budget outlay for LHDCP for 2026-27 is Rs 2,010 crore.
Linking livestock health with productivity
The disease-control efforts are taking place alongside improvements in bovine productivity and milk production.
The productivity of indigenous and non-descript cattle increased from 927 kg per animal per year in 2014-15 to 1,343.2 kg in 2024-25, a rise of 44.89 per cent. Buffalo productivity increased from 1,880 kg to 2,365.2 kg per animal per year during the same period, representing a 25.80 per cent increase.
Average bovine productivity rose from 1,640 kg per animal per year in 2014-15 to 2,250 kg in 2024-25, an increase of 36.63 per cent.
India’s milk production also increased from 146.31 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 247.87 million tonnes in 2024-25, registering a 69.4 per cent increase over the decade.
The government aims to further raise average milk production to 3,000 kg per animal per year by 2030.
One Health approach and pandemic preparedness
The NADCP is also linked to India’s broader One Health approach, which recognises the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health.
Strengthening early detection, surveillance and control of animal diseases can help reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, promote prudent use of antimicrobials and improve preparedness for emerging public health threats.
The National One Health Mission, approved by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council in 2022, seeks to coordinate and integrate existing One Health activities across the country.
The government has also supplemented its animal health efforts through the Pandemic Fund Project on “Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for Pandemic Preparedness and Response”, launched in 2024 with US$25 million support from the G20 Pandemic Fund.
Implemented in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank, the project seeks to strengthen disease surveillance, including genomic and environmental surveillance, upgrade laboratory infrastructure and promote cross-border cooperation.
As part of the initiative, the government has released Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines and a Crisis Management Plan for Animal Diseases. The guidelines promote scientific veterinary practices, rational use of medicines and antimicrobial stewardship, while the crisis management plan provides a framework for preparedness and rapid response during animal disease outbreaks.
Building a disease-secure livestock sector
With more than 535 million livestock, including 302.79 million bovines, recorded in the 20th Livestock Census 2019, animal health remains closely linked to rural livelihoods, food security and agricultural productivity.
The progress under NADCP demonstrates how vaccination, surveillance, digital monitoring and veterinary services can work together to reduce disease risks. The decline in FMD and Brucellosis outbreaks, coupled with improved immunity and rising bovine productivity, highlights the economic and livelihood benefits of sustained investment in livestock health.
The programme’s future priorities include progressive alignment with international standards for FMD freedom, expansion of laboratory accreditation, genomic surveillance, AI-enabled disease intelligence, climate-resilient surveillance systems and stronger One Health coordination.
From a nationwide vaccination campaign to an increasingly digital disease surveillance ecosystem, NADCP is laying the foundation for a healthier and more productive livestock sector. Its continued focus on disease prevention and preparedness is expected to remain important to farmer prosperity, food security and India’s resilience against future zoonotic and transboundary disease threats.
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