New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Apex body National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) on Friday pitched for promoting alternative treatment like pashu ayurveda-based Ethno Veterinary Medicine (EVM) to treat a range of animal diseases like mastitis and brucellosis on the occasion of the World Environment Day.

This is necessary amid indiscriminate use of antibiotics to treat animal diseases, it said in a statement.

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NDDB said it is aggressively promoting EVM through various milk producer institutions in more than 10 states in the country. EVM uses medicinal plants, herbs, spices and traditional knowledge to treat a number of common animal diseases.

Expressing concern that antimicrobial resistance is becoming a silent pandemic both globally and in India, NDDB said, "We strongly believe that the solution to this serious problem lies in promoting alternative treatment strategies like pashu ayurveda-based EVM to treat a range of animal diseases which would reduce incidence of antimicrobial resistance."

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Majority of dairy farmers in India find it difficult to afford a veterinarian or bear the cost of treatment when their animals fall sick, it said.

NDDB Chairman Dilip Rath said the requirement for safe and healthy co-existence of humans, animals and the environment is gaining significance worldwide.

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, about 60 per cent of the human infectious diseases are zoonotic and at least 75 per cent of emerging infections in humans are of animal.

"The recent COVID-19 pandemic has turned out to be a global health crisis. In order to mitigate the risk to human health, controlling zoonotic diseases at the animal source is of paramount importance," he said.

Rath said there is a growing realisation that the incidence of extreme climate events can cause significant adverse impact on the livelihoods of rural households as these can result in affecting milch animal productivity and milk production.

To mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, initiatives such as promoting indigenous breeds, propagating suitable fodder variants, adopting climate friendly animal rearing practices, promoting Ayurveda based treatment of diseases, and improving cold chain need to be intensified with the participation of all stakeholders, he added.

NDDB's garden will create awareness on various medicinal plants, which can be used for managing common ailments in both humans and animals.

QR codes have been provided for each plant -- scanning provides details as per the "Ayurveda Offering-Herbal Healing" book of the AYUSH for humans and EVM booklet for animals, it added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)