
COIMBATORE: In the first week of January this year, the union government banned the use of nimesulide, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, (NSAID) for veterinary purposes as it is harmful to vultures.
While welcoming the decision, bird lovers and conservationists point out that nimusulide is prescribed for humans and expressed concerns that because of this, there is high possibility of the drug getting diverted for veterinary use. Vulture experts have urged the union government to allow production of the drug only in vials less than 3 ml. They also appealed to the state government to conduct periodic inspections at veterinary pharmacies.
“We welcome the gazette notification issued by the Drug Controller General of India of a national ban of veterinary nimesulide, a widely used drug demonstrated by multiple scientific studies to be highly toxic to vultures. This follows a recommendation issued a year earlier by Drugs Technical Advisory Board of India. This is a highly significant step for vulture conservation,” said Chris Bowden, programme manager of SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction) and co-chair of the IUCN Vulture Specialist Group (VSG).
“This success and credits should go to the tireless work of organisations like the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology (Wildlife Institute of India), Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bombay Natural History Society, Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction and bird conservation organisations. However, this is only the first step as despite earlier ban on diclofenac, ketoprofen, and aceclofenac for veterinary use, the drugs are alarmingly available in the market,” said S Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam, which organised a signature campaign to advocate for the ban.
“Drug inspectors should conduct periodic raids to prevent the illegal sale of these banned drugs. Before introducing new NSAIDs to the market, safety testing should be conducted to assess their potential hazards to vultures."
“In 2011, the union government banned the use of nimesulide in the under-14 age group. However, despite repeated warnings and notifications, some physicians continue to prescribe it for children,” he alleged.