Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for National Institute for One Health and inaugurate the Centre for Research, Management and Control of Haemoglobinopathies in Nagpur on Sunday.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, these new institutes of medical excellence will further expedite the country's efforts in enhancing health research to serve vulnerable populations of the country.
With increased interaction between humans and animals -- domestic and wild, and influenced by climate change, human health can no longer be seen in isolation. More than half of all infections that people get can be spread by animals. In this context, the National Institute for One Health in Nagpur will focus on increasing preparedness and laboratory capabilities for the identification of novel and unknown zoonotic agents, the Health Ministry statement said.
"This dedicated institute will be equipped with the Bio Safety Level (BSL-IV) laboratory. It will help in the investigation of outbreaks of emerging zoonotic agents concerned with public health and developing better control strategies," it said.
The Ministry said that the prevalence of Sickle Cell disease in the Vidarbha region of Central India, especially in the tribal population, is high, with expected carrier frequency as high as 35 per cent in certain tribal groups.
"Realizing this issue and the spread of similar diseases in the country, ICMR - Centre for Research, Management and Control of Haemoglobinopathies has been set up that will play a leading role in research on haemoglobinopathies and similar diseases in the country," the Ministry said in a statement.
The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic and research facilities including bio-banking and proteomics facilities, which will enable India to conduct path-breaking research on the disease.
This centre of medical excellence is dedicated to haemoglobinopathies, which are inherited disorders of haemoglobin and include b-thalassemia syndromes and sickle cell disease, amongst others.
The centre will undertake interventions through community control programmes and translational research that will benefit the patients in the underserved region of Chandrapur and adjoining areas, it added.
PM Modi is scheduled to visit Goa today, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate projects worth Rs 75,000 crore in Maharashtra.
Notably, with an aim to boost connectivity in the country, PM Modi will also inaugurate the Mopa International Airport in Goa.
( With inputs from ANI )
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