India’s ICAR-NIHSAD Bhopal Earns Category ‘A’ Status for Rinderpest Virus Containment by WOAH–FAO.
National
India has achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of global animal health with the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, being recognised as a Category A Rinderpest Holding Facility (RHF). This designation was conferred jointly by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), headquartered in Paris, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
- The announcement was made during the 92nd General Session of WOAH, held from May 25–29, 2025, in Paris. This global platform recognised India’s capability to safely manage highly sensitive rinderpest virus-containing materials, a virus officially eradicated but retained for emergency preparedness and scientific research.
0 The certificate of recognition was presented to Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAHD). The ceremony was presided over by WOAH Director General Dr. Emmanuelle Soubeyran and WOAH President Dr. Susana Pombo.
- With this Category A status, ICAR-NIHSAD is authorised to safely store, monitor, and handle all types of rinderpest virus materials, including vaccine stocks, under strict global biosafety guidelines. It reaffirms India's technical capabilities in veterinary virology and outbreak preparedness.
Main Point :- (i) This achievement places India among a select group of only six authorised global centres tasked with the high-security storage of rinderpest virus material (RVCM). These facilities serve as crucial safeguards in case of any future need for emergency vaccine production or viral analysis.
(ii) NIHSAD’s elevation to Category A strengthens India’s status as a leader in global animal health and veterinary biosafety.
(iii) It also opens new avenues for collaboration with international research and disease containment institutions.
About the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
President: Dr. Susana Pombo
Director General: Dr. Emmanuelle Soubeyran
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