JP Nadda to lay foundation stone for ICMR High-Altitude Medicine Research Centre in Himachal Pradesh
New Delhi: Union Health Minister JP Nadda will lay the foundation stone of the ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research in Himachal Pradesh's Keylong on 12 October, 2026, to strengthen biomedical research and healthcare preparedness in the Himalayan region.
According to a statement issued by the health ministry, the centre, being established by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), will focus on public-health challenges arising from high-altitude, extreme-weather conditions, difficult terrain, geographical isolation and climate variability.
Located in Lahaul and Spiti district, the facility will be the country's first dedicated centre for high-altitude medicine and public-health research, providing a platform for multidisciplinary studies involving high-altitude and tribal populations, according to the statement, PTI reported.
Its research areas will include high-altitude physiology and acclimatisation, mountain medicine, climate-sensitive and emerging diseases, infectious and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, nutrition, mental health, environmental and occupational health, and disaster medicine.
In addition, the centre will also explore the use of digital health platforms, telemedicine, drone-enabled healthcare logistics and real-time public-health surveillance to improve healthcare delivery in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
The initiative is expected to facilitate long-term field studies examining the relationship between environmental conditions, climate variability and health outcomes, while contributing to tribal health, disaster preparedness and the development of climate-resilient healthcare systems, the statement said.
It will also strengthen India's contribution to global research in high-altitude medicine, it added.
The initiative will promote institutional collaboration with the Armed Forces Medical Services, national research institutions and the Himachal Pradesh government to support translational research, scientific exchange, capacity building and evidence-based policymaking.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Centre is planning to expand its network of infectious disease laboratories across medical colleges and research institutions to strengthen early diagnosis, disease surveillance and outbreak response. The initiative will also support research on emerging and newly identified viruses.
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