Raja bilal cni

Srinagar, – CNI:-Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) organised a One Day Symposium cum Panel Discussion on the theme ‘One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses, Stop the Spread’ at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Shuhama, on Wednesday.

The event, conducted under HADP Project-20: Innovative Extension Approaches, was organised by SKUAST-K’s Division of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology, FVSc. The symposium brought together scientists and officers from diverse

disciplines associated with the “One Health” approach, including Medical, Veterinary, Fisheries, Environment, and Food Sciences. Participants represented institutions such as GMC Srinagar, GMC Anantnag, SKIMS Soura, IUST Awantipora, Sheep & Animal Husbandry

Department, and various divisions of SKUAST-K.The sessions, held at the Faculty Outreach Centre, FVSc&AH, Shuhama, were part of a ten-day event celebrating World Zoonoses Day 2025, which commemorates the administration of the first successful rabies vaccine by Louis

Pasteur.Addressing the inaugural session as Chief Guest, Director Research SKUAST-K, Prof. Haroon R. Naik, emphasised the significance of the “One Health” approach in tackling pressing zoonotic issues in the region. He encouraged participants to make full use of the insights shared and provide constructive

feedback.Director Education SKUAST-K, Prof. M. Altaf Bhat, underlined the need to raise awareness among stakeholders about zoonotic diseases to ensure the well-being of communities. Dean FVSc&AH, Prof. Riaz A. Shah, highlighted the various domains of zoonotic diseases and the crucial role of veterinarians in combating them to realise the “One Health”

vision.Earlier, Prof. Syed Akram Hussain, Head, Division of Veterinary Public Health, welcomed the dignitaries and participants, while Dr. Mudasir Ali, Organising Secretary, stressed the importance of controlling emerging and re-

emerging zoonotic diseases, which account for over 60% of all infectious diseases and 75% of all emerging pathogens globally.Prominent speakers included Dr. Kouser Sideeq, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, GMC

Srinagar, and Prof. Craig Altier, Professor of Microbiology, Cornell University, New York, USA, who addressed the symposium virtually. A panel discussion on ‘From Bite to Breakthrough: Collaborative Rabies Control in J&K’ was also held, focusing on collaborative efforts for rabies prevention and control in the region.(CNI)