The Department of Health Research (DHR) is planning to set up a dedicated Centre on Influenza to coordinate and implement national research plans into action in the area of this disease which has been emerging as a public health problem in recent times.
The Department will set up the institute on extramural mode by utilising a portion from the funds allocated for setting up new institutes and upgradation of existing ones during the current five year plan period. A total of Rs.3150 crore has been approved for the purpose under this head of new institutes.
Influenza is an acute viral infection that spreads easily from person to person and circulates worldwide quickly due to increased air travel and can affect anybody in any age group. It is a serious public health problem that causes severe illnesses and deaths for higher risk populations. Influenza is very important as outbreaks/ epidemics and pandemics are quite common as virus keeps on changing constantly. An epidemic can take an economic toll through lost workforce, productivity, and strain health services, according to the proposal in this regard.
National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune of ICMR is the apex organisation dealing with the viral diseases in addition to National Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC), Delhi. An expert group of the Planning commission for XII plan suggested that a dedicated centre on influenza should be set up that can work, co-ordinate and implement national research plans into action.
“It is proposed to set up an exclusive centre on influenza during XII plan. This centre may be established either at National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune or elsewhere, where logistics are available,” sources said.
Another new institute proposed to be set up during the period as Centre for Studies on Flurosis which has been a health problem in several parts of the country for many decades. Government of India as a special programme to address the problem of high fluoride content in the deep tube well water has recommended the use of several methods which have been developed in India.
ICMR has reviewed the current status of the problem and created a special task force to deal with the issue. Studies are being funded or will be funded to assess the current public health impact of use of such water with high fluoride content and impact of different intervention measures. In addition, the studies will be expanded to investigate other harmful elements like arsenic in the same water sources. Feedback will be made available to the programmes on health as well as safe water supply, said the proposal.