NewKerala.com

Key Points

India’s new National Institute of One Health in Nagpur will feature a specialized outbreak response team. Led by Dr. Pragya Yadav, it unites medical and veterinary experts for Disease X preparedness. The initiative includes mock drills and accelerated vaccine research. This ICMR-ICAR project aims to make India resilient against future pandemics.

Key Points: NIOH Nagpur Forms National Outbreak Response Team for Disease X

  • National Joint Outbreak Response Team targets Disease X
  • ICMR-ICAR collaboration strengthens zoonotic surveillance
  • Mock drills to test outbreak preparedness
  • Research focuses on vaccines & diagnostics
2 min read

Formation of a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to address Disease X

ICMR-NIV's Dr. Pragya Yadav reveals NIOH's joint outbreak response team to tackle Disease X with cross-sector research & surveillance.

"The National Institute of One Health will unite all ministries to enhance India’s outbreak resilience – Dr. Pragya Yadav"

By Shalini Bhardwaj, Nagpur, June 19

The National Institute of One Health (NIOH), currently being established in Nagpur, will feature a specialised National Outbreak Response Team aimed at swiftly identifying and analysing the root causes of disease outbreaks.

Dr. Pragya Yadav, Director-in-Charge of the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) and senior scientist at the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, said that the initiative will involve collaboration among experts from multiple sectors.

Speaking to ANI, Dr Yadav said, "Under the National Institute of One Health, several initiatives are already underway, including national-level mock exercises to assess outbreak response, the formation of a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to investigate the root causes of outbreaks or ongoing diseases, and research focused on vaccines, antiviral treatments, and cost-effective diagnostic methods."

The Director-in-Charge of NIOH stated that the National Institute of One Health will serve as a platform for all ministries and sectors to collaborate on research. "The National Institute of One Health will unite all ministries and sectors to collaborate on research. This institute will work towards enhancing surveillance, research, and development to make India a stronger nation," She added.

Dr Yadav added, "The goal is to prepare the country for future health challenges and make it more resilient."

The National Institute of One Health is being established to strengthen the country's ability to manage future pandemics and outbreaks of zoonotic diseases.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) decided to establish a National Institute of One Health at Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. In this context, two collaborative research projects, funded by the ICAR and ICMR, were initiated to conduct the epidemiological surveillance of selected zoonotic diseases in Central India.

The scientific collaboration between veterinary and medical faculties has set an example for the effective implementation of the One Health (OH) programme for the establishment of the National Institute of OH.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rajesh K.
This is a much-needed initiative after COVID exposed our healthcare gaps. Nagpur is a strategic choice being centrally located. Hope they include experts from rural areas who understand ground realities better than city doctors. 🇮🇳
P
Priya M.
Excellent move! But will this team be proactive or just reactive? We need regular monitoring of animal-human disease transmission points, especially near forest areas. Prevention is better than cure, na?
A
Amit S.
Hope they allocate proper funding and don't make it another bureaucratic setup. Our scientists are world-class but often held back by red tape. More power to Dr. Yadav and team! 🙏
S
Sunita R.
Good initiative but what about existing public health centers? Many don't even have basic facilities. First strengthen primary healthcare, then build fancy institutes. Just my two paise.
V
Vikram J.
Combining veterinary and medical research is brilliant! In villages, humans and animals live so close together. This One Health approach can prevent many outbreaks if implemented properly. 👏
N
Neha P.
Will this team coordinate with neighboring countries? Diseases don't respect borders. Regional cooperation is must, especially with Nepal, Bangladesh where we share open borders. International collaboration needed!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50