Dr KK Aggarwal
As per the minutes of the 56th
Meeting of Drugs Consultative Committee held on 1st June, 2019 at New Delhi,
agenda 16 (3) the health ministry may ban Aceclofenac for veterinary use.
“ 3. Prohibition of
Aceclofenac for veterinary use for saving vultures DCC
Dr. Vibhu Parkash, Principal
Scientist & Deputy Director, BNHS, Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre,
B-3, Forest Complex, Pinjore, Panchkula, Haryana has submitted a research note
on ‘Metabolism of Aceclofenac in cattle to Vulture-killing Diclofenac’.
Government of India has
prohibited ‘Diclofenac and its formulations for animal use’ vide notification
No. GSR 499 (E) dated 04th July, 17 2008 and permitted ‘Diclofenac injection
for human use shall be in single unit dose pack only’ vide notification No. GSR
558(E) dated 17th July, 2015.
In view of this, Vulture
Conservation Breeding Centre has requested the appropriate action in this
matter for prohibition of Aceclofenac for veterinary use for saving vultures.”
According to wildlife
veterinarians, the key cause of vulture deaths was food poisoning. The birds
were feeding on dead animals that had been administered diclofenac as painkiller.
When Gyps species fed on these carcasses they faced acute renal failure and
died.
Vultures are among the top
predators and critical to maintaining ecological balance in nature. Decline in
their population got the bird enlisted in the critically endangered category in
the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Alarmed by this, in 2006 the
governments of India, Pakistan and Nepal ordered a ban on the production and
sale of diclofenac.
The rate of decline has slowed
down—from 40 per cent to 18 per cent. The number of oriental white-backed
vulture (Gyps bengalensis) had dropped drastically by 99.9 per cent before the
ban was imposed.
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
President Elect Confederation of
Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania
(CMAAO)
Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President Heart Care Foundation of
India
Past National President
IMA
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