JOIN USThe annual review meeting of the flagship public health research programme of Manipal Centre for Virus Research (MCVR), 'Hospital-based Acute Febrile Illness (AFI) Surveillance in India' will be held on December 12 at the Chaitya Hall, FIVV.
Dr P Raveendran, director, Emergency Medical Relief (EMR), Directorate of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Central government, will inaugurate the programme and Dr H S Ballal, Pro Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, will preside.
The project was initiated in June 2014 by MCVR in collaboration with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, US, and the Central and state Health Departments under the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), with an objective to generate evidence for public health action. It started in a single district Shivamogga in Karnataka in 2014 and currently has sentinel sites in 34 hospitals located in 27 sub-districts in 16 districts across 11 states of the country.
"More than 50 health officials and clinicians from both centre and state governments and national institutions will be in attendance for the programme," said Dr G Arunkumar, professor and head, MCVR.
Dr Kayla Laserson, Country director, CDC India will address the gathering. Dr V Ravi, professor, Department of Neurovirology, NIMHANS; Dr K Ravikumar, senior regional director, RO H& FW, Bangalore, will also share their thoughts at the inaugural function.
"Since inception in 2010, MCVR is known for its contributions to public health at the national, state and district public health services. Currently, MCVR houses the IDSP-Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Virus and the DHR/ICMR Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory - Grade I. MCVR is also the NVBDCP Apex Referral Laboratory for Dengue, Japanese Encephalitis and Chikungunya; all of which are Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India supported programmes. MCVR is also the referral laboratory for Zika testing in the country," Dr Arun said.