image credit- PIB
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya laid the foundation stone for National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Regional Branch in Assam, State branches in 6 States (Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal and Mizoram) and biosafety lavel or BSL-3 labs in 2 States (Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand) virtually.
He also inaugurated a temporary NCDC Regional branch in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. These new NCDC branches and BSL-3 labs will strengthen the country’s capacity for pandemic preparedness and disease surveillance with One Health approach.
He also dedicated an Auditorium and Library block as a part of upgraded NCDC, Delhi to the nation and released several technical documents such as Centre for Environmental & Occupational Health, Climate Change and Health, NCDC Booklet; Epidemiology, NCDC technical report; Centre for One Health, NCDC vision document; National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control – 'National Strategic Plan: Malaria Elimination-2023-27'.
State branches of NCDC and BSL-3 laboratory once functional will augment the capacity of region/state for preparedness and response especially for outbreak prone diseases by high-risk pathogens.
Dr Mandaviya informed that a forward-looking strategy has been envisaged for the NCDC's evolution through which it is planned to establish 30 NCDC state branches, 5 NCDC regional branches and 10 BSL-3 laboratories in phase-wise manner for decentralising the presence of NCDC.
