New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday virtually unveiled the foundation stone for ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), south zone, Bengaluru.
President Murmu said that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has provided exemplary support for effective Covid management and is expanding its research infrastructure. National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, is also taking all possible steps to increase R&D in the field of virology. “NIV has been designated as one of the collaborating laboratories of the World Health Organization (WHO). The expansion of NIV through zonal campuses across the country catering to the demands in different geographical regions is praiseworthy.”
She added that in combating the pandemic, India’s achievements have been better than most developed countries. “We had the biggest vaccination drive in human history with vaccines manufactured in the country itself. For this feat, we are grateful to our scientists, doctors, nurses, paramedics and the staff associated with vaccination.”
Bharti Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of state for Health and Family Welfare, said that India, under the leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has leveraged technology in the health sector so that any outbreak can be investigated at an early stage and necessary action is taken to contain it.
“The new NIV is a step further to strengthen our health defence system. Under Prime Minister Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), funds have been approved to set up multisector national institutions and platforms including 4 Zonal National Institutes of Virology (NIVs) towards bio-security preparedness and strengthening pandemic research across the country,” she said.
The minister added that from its inception, ICMR-NIV has led from the front in providing a rapid response to viral infections of public health importance. “ICMR-NIV investigated potential antiviral drugs, undertook several kit validations, developed new diagnostics with large-scale training which contributed in making India’s first indigenous vaccine, Covaxin. These efforts equipped the country against the initial spread of SARS CoV-2. As a result of which, today the whole world looks towards India in research and development in healthcare.”
She said that the pandemic exposed the frailties of health systems worldwide in recognizing and responding to emerging threats to public health. In this light, South Zone ICMR-NIV laboratory in Bengaluru will be equipped with a state-of-the-art infrastructure and expertise in handling infectious agents of various risk groups. “This would be crucial to continuously monitor the regional landscape of infectious diseases in the southern states of India, and thus contribute to bolstering the national surveillance of outbreak-prone infectious disease agents”.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More
Less
For all the latest world News Click Here
