India Establishes National Outbreak Response Team to Tackle Future Pandemics and “Disease X”

Nagpur, Maharashtra – In a significant move to bolster India’s pandemic preparedness, the National Institute of One Health (NIOH), currently under establishment in Nagpur, will feature a specialized National Joint Outbreak Response Team. This initiative aims to swiftly identify and analyze the root causes of disease outbreaks, including potential threats from unknown pathogens referred to as “Disease X”.

Dr. Pragya Yadav, Director-in-Charge of the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) and senior scientist at the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, outlined the institute’s objectives. “Under the National Institute of One Health, several initiatives are already underway, including national-level mock exercises to assess outbreak response, the formation of a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to investigate the root causes of outbreaks or ongoing diseases, and research focused on vaccines, antiviral treatments, and cost-effective diagnostic methods,” Dr. Yadav told ANI.

The NIOH is set to become a central platform for collaboration among ministries and sectors, uniting experts from medical, veterinary, and public health fields. “The National Institute of One Health will unite all ministries and sectors to collaborate on research. This institute will work towards enhancing surveillance, research, and development to make India a stronger nation,” Dr. Yadav added. The ultimate goal is to prepare the country for future health challenges and make it more resilient against pandemics and zoonotic diseases.

The establishment of NIOH follows a joint decision by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Two collaborative research projects, funded by these bodies, have already been initiated to conduct epidemiological surveillance of selected zoonotic diseases in Central India. The scientific collaboration between veterinary and medical faculties serves as a model for the effective implementation of the One Health programme.

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