Participants and organizers during 1st On-Spot Poster Painting competition organized by Sentinel Surveillance Site, Department of Microbiology, Naga Hospital Authority Kohima on February 17. (Photo Courtesy: NHAK)
Kohima, February 17 (MExN): The Sentinel Surveillance Site, Department of Microbiology, Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) organized 1st On-Spot Poster Painting competition today at the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Phrieba, Kohima for medical, paramedical and nursing students on the theme, “Zoonotic diseases and its impact on human health.”
The programme was organized under the aegis of National One Health Programme for the Prevention and Control of Zoonoses (NOHPPCZ), NCDC, MoHFW, India.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Margaret Yhome, Nodal officer for Sentinel Surveillance Site (SSS), NHAK, NOHPPCZ, stated, “The concept of ‘One Health’ emphasizes on the close relatedness between humans, animals and the environment in zoonotic disease transmission.
Zoonotic diseases, being transmitted from vertebrate animals to humans pose a threat not only to the health of humans and animals but also to global health security. Thus, awareness and early detection is crucial in controlling and preventing zoonoses to protect communities and minimize associated socio-economic losses.
Under the NOHPPCZ, the Department of Microbiology, NHAK is the SSS laboratory since the past 3 years, actively engaged in testing and diagnosing zoonotic diseases in the state of Nagaland. For this, multisectoral consideration has been implemented with the departments of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Forestry, Agriculture along with the IDSP, Nagaland.”
The contest saw over forty participants eagerly presenting their aspect on the theme via their creative posters. Mhaphruo was judged the winner of the competition with Clara Kajiri and Atingwi Nring coming in a close second and third place, respectively. The judges panel included eminent veterinarian, Dr Amenla Walling, Joint Director, AH&VS, Nagaland, and doctors from various medical specialties from NHAK and NIMSR, Kohima.
The contest aimed at creating and promoting awareness on emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases prevalent in India like scrub typhus, leptospirosis, rabies, brucellosis and cysticercosis, to name a few.
Globally, zoonotic diseases cause 2.5 billion cases of human illness and 2.7 million human deaths worldwide each year.
