New Delhi, March 3 -- Zoonotic diseases, which are infections transmitted from animals to humans, are a significant public health concern in India. The country's diverse ecosystems, high population density and close human-animal interactions create an environment conducive to the spread of such diseases.

At the 2025 edition of the Anil Agarwal Dialogue, Rajeshwari Sinha, Programme Manager at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), spoke with Dr Rajesh Bhatia, former director, Communicable Diseases for South-East Asia, on the situation and gaps in the implementation of processes for the management of zoonotic diseases in India.

Factors such as urbanisation, deforestation,and climate change are exacerbating the risk of zoonotic dise...