A Veterinarian’s Battle: The Untold Story Behind Operational Challenges of NADCP

Pashu Sandesh, 28 July 2026

A story of dedication, long journeys, staff shortages, and the daily challenges behind the NADCP numbers.
India's National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) was launched in 2019 with an ambitious vision—to control Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis and pave the way for an FMD-free India by 2030. Over the past few years, the programme has achieved impressive milestones. Hundreds of millions of vaccine doses have been administered, millions of animals have been ear-tagged, and several states have reported a significant decline in disease outbreaks.
But beyond the impressive statistics and government presentations lies another story—one that is rarely discussed. It is the story of veterinarians, para-veterinarians, livestock inspectors, and vaccinators who are responsible for translating policy into action at the village level.
To understand the real challenges of NADCP, one has to step away from conference halls and spend a day with a field vaccination team.

Big Targets, Small Teams

One of the biggest challenges facing state animal husbandry departments is the shortage of manpower.
In many states, a single veterinary officer is responsible for dozens of villages and thousands of animals. Routine animal treatment, artificial insemination services, disease surveillance, emergency calls, and administrative work already consume much of their time. NADCP adds another major responsibility to an already stretched workforce.
While contractual vaccinators and para-veterinary workers have helped bridge some gaps, the availability and skill levels of these personnel vary significantly across states. As a result, achieving vaccination targets often depends on the extraordinary efforts of a limited number of field staff.

Getting Vaccines to Villages Is Not Always Easy

Vaccines may arrive at district headquarters on time, but delivering them to remote villages is often a different challenge altogether.
In tribal regions, hilly areas, flood-prone zones, and remote rural pockets, transportation remains a major hurdle. During the monsoon, roads become inaccessible. In some areas, vaccinators travel long distances on motorcycles, while in others they walk several kilometres carrying vaccine carriers.
Maintaining the cold chain under such conditions is another constant concern. Field teams often work in extreme temperatures, and ensuring that vaccines remain effective until they reach the animal requires careful planning and effort.

The Battle Between Mobile Apps and Poor Connectivity

NADCP is not just about vaccination. Every vaccinated animal must be identified, tagged, and digitally recorded.
On paper, the system is efficient and transparent. In practice, however, poor internet connectivity in many rural areas creates additional workload for field staff. Veterinarians and vaccinators frequently report situations where vaccination is completed successfully, but data cannot be uploaded because there is no network coverage. Many end up completing data entry late at night after returning to areas with better connectivity. For some teams, managing digital records has become almost as time-consuming as the vaccination exercise itself.

Convincing Farmers Remains a Daily Challenge

Administering a vaccine is a technical task. Convincing livestock owners about its importance is often much harder.
Many farmers still ask a common question: “My animals have never suffered from FMD. Why do they need vaccination?”
Others remain hesitant about ear-tagging, while some simply do not have their animals available when vaccination teams visit. Animals may be grazing far from the village or moved temporarily to another location. As a result, teams often need to revisit the same village multiple times to achieve adequate coverage. In many ways, NADCP is not only a disease-control programme—it is also a large-scale awareness and behavioural change campaign.

Beyond Vaccination Numbers

Experts increasingly argue that disease freedom cannot be achieved through vaccination alone.
Effective disease surveillance, rapid outbreak reporting, laboratory testing, animal movement control, quarantine measures, and farmer awareness are equally important components of any successful disease-control strategy.
Several states have made remarkable progress in vaccination coverage, but strengthening disease surveillance systems remains a work in progress. Identifying and reporting every suspected outbreak quickly will be crucial if India wants to achieve internationally recognised FMD-free status.

The Unsung Heroes of NADCP

When discussions focus on NADCP achievements, attention is often given to the number of vaccine doses administered, animals tagged, or funds allocated. Yet the true strength of the programme lies elsewhere. It lies with the veterinary officers travelling from village to village, the para-veterinarians working in difficult terrain, and the vaccinators who continue their work through heatwaves, heavy rains, and limited resources. India's ambition of becoming FMD-free will not be achieved solely through policies or budgets. It will depend on the strength of the field-level animal health system and the people who keep it running every day.

If state animal husbandry departments receive greater investment in manpower, training, cold-chain infrastructure, transport, and digital support systems, NADCP could become one of the most successful livestock health programmes in the world.
Because, ultimately, disease control is not just about vaccines—it is about the system and the people who ensure that every vaccine reaches the last animal in the last village.

Dr Akash waghmare
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