The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare recently headed the 112th Annual Day celebrations at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Several key initiatives were launched at this event, focusing on disease control mechanisms, climate change adaptation plans and public health education.
Launch of Genome Lab
The Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) was unveiled during the event. WGS serves as an advanced method for analyzing entire genomes. This technique has been crucial in identifying inherited disorders, characterizing cancer-causing mutations, and tracking disease outbreaks.
With the decreasing costs of sequencing and the ability to produce large volumes of data, whole-genome sequencing is becoming a highly powerful tool for genomics research. AMR refers to the resistance developed by various microorganisms against antimicrobial drugs used to treat infections. Utilizing WGS for global surveillance can provide critical information about the early emergence and spread of AMR, leading to the timely development of AMR management policies.
National Health Adaptation Plans
The National Health Adaptation Plan on Air Pollution and the National Health Adaptation Plan on Heat Related Illness were launched under the ambit of the “National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH)”. These plans propose the establishment of committees on health issues related to air pollution, involving health officials from various medical departments along with the emergency and nursing department. The plans further emphasize the necessity of logistical preparations for potential health emergencies and identification of vulnerable areas and populations.
New Communication Materials
Under the “National One health Programme for prevention and Control of Zoonoses”, Information, Education & Communication (IEC) materials on seven priority zoonotic diseases have been produced. These diseases include Rabies, Scrub Typhus, Brucellosis, Anthrax, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Nipah, and Kyasanur Forest Disease in India.
Objectives of NPCCHH
The main objectives of NPCCHH include creating awareness about the impacts of climate change on human health among the general population, healthcare providers and policy makers; strengthening the capacity of the healthcare system to reduce illnesses or diseases due to climate variability; improving health preparedness and response, developing partnerships and synchrony with other missions; and strengthening research capacity to fill the evidence gap on climate change impact on human health.
About National Centre for Disease Control
The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), previously known as the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), originated as the Central Malaria Bureau in Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) in 1909. It was transformed into NCDC with a broader mandate of controlling emerging and re-emerging diseases in 2009. Today, it serves as the nodal agency in the country for disease surveillance, helping prevent and control communicable diseases.
Control & Headquarter of NCDC
The institute is under the administrative control of the Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and has its headquarters in Delhi. NCDC conducts investigations of disease outbreaks throughout the country, provides referral diagnostic services, and generates knowledge in various areas of public health. Research – integrated and applied – in various aspects of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, forms one of the chief functions of the institute.
