New guidelines promote Ayurveda, regulate use of antibiotics in veterinary treatment

Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry releases Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines to regulate antibiotic use and promote Ayurvedic drugs.

The Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines (SVTG), released recently by the Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry, aims to reduce and regulate the use of antibiotics to treat diseases found among the livestock and poultry. The SVTG also provides for the use of Ayurvedic drugs in veterinary treatment

It is for the first time that the Centre has come up with a standard set for treatment of almost all diseases of animals and birds.

Also read: Study spotlights India’s ‘intense’ veterinary antimicrobial use

The SVTG has details of medicines along with dosage, predicted requirement of medicines, duration of treatment, withdrawal period and potential adverse reactions. Union Animal Husbandry Secretary Alka Upadhyay said the guidelines were designed to minimise antimicrobial resistance and effectively control diseases.

“The inclusion of ‘ethnoveterinary’ practices in these guidelines provides additional, cost-effective treatment options for marginal and small-scale farmers, ensuring broader access to quality care,” she said.

Explaining the importance of the SVTG, former Director and Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) Raj Kumar Singh, who played a pivotal role in its drafting, said though some countries had earlier prepared treatment guidelines for specific diseases, India is the first country to prepare a a set of structured guidelines for the treatment of almost all diseases among animals and birds, covering all segments.

“Animal health is one of the important aspect for the economy of the country. SVTG is for minimising the usage of drugs, including antibiotics. These guidelines will help in reducing the economic burden on farmers as medicines will be cost-effective from now,” Dr. Singh said.