Rajasthan’s Ajmer district conducted the country’s first mock drill on pandemic preparedness. The mock drill was named “Vishanu Yuddh Abhyas” (Virus War Exercise) and was conducted under the National One Health Mission from August 27 to 31. The mock drill tested the preparedness and response of the National Joint Outbreak Response Team, which consists of experts from human health, animal husbandry, and wildlife sectors.
The drill created a mock zoonotic disease outbreak to simulate a real-world epidemic. The mock drill predominantly focused on investigating and identifying the virus causing the mock outbreak and actions initiated to prevent the spread of disease among humans and animals. Several stakeholders, including the ICMR, the National Centre for Disease Control, the Directorate General of Health Services, and the Rajasthan state administration, were involved in this…
