Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, virtually laid the foundation stone for the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Regional Branch in Assam. Additionally, state branches in six states (Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal, and Mizoram) and BSL-3 labs in two states (Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand) were inaugurated. The new branches and labs aim to enhance the country’s capacity for pandemic preparedness and disease surveillance with a One Health approach.
Dr. Mandaviya emphasized that these regional branches would aid in combating diseases with regional variations, such as CCHF, KFD, and Scrub typhus. The state branches and BSL-3 laboratories, once functional, will strengthen the capacity of regions and states for preparedness and response to outbreak-prone diseases caused by high-risk pathogens.
The Health Minister highlighted the importance of pandemic preparedness and disease surveillance anchored in strong health systems to ensure better protection from major disease outbreaks. He commended NCDC for its contributions, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, where it played a crucial role in instituting containment measures, community surveillance, contact tracing, and response in coordination with state and local governments.
Dr. Mandaviya outlined a forward-looking strategy for NCDC’s evolution, planning to establish 30 NCDC state branches, 5 NCDC regional branches, and 10 BSL-3 laboratories in a phased manner to decentralize NCDC’s presence. He stressed the need for collective and collaborative efforts between the Centre and states to enhance the country’s capacity in tackling future pandemics.
Prof. S P Singh Baghel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare; Shri Keshab Mahanta, Health Minister, Assam; Shri Anil Vij, Health Minister, Haryana and Members of Parliament from six states – Smt. Aparajita Sarangi (Odisha), Shri Kartikeya Sharma (Haryana), Shri D V Sadananda Gowda (Karnataka), Shri Suresh Kumar Kashyap (Himachal Pradesh), Smt. Queen Oja (Assam) and Dr. Nishikant Dubey (Jharkhand) attended the event. Shri Hemanga Thakuria, Member of Legislative Assembly, Assam also joined the occasion.
