NAKSHATRA to strengthen preparedeness for future pandemics: ICMR NIV Director
Pune: A 10-member National Media delegation, led by Dr Manisha Verma, Additional Director General (Media), Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, yesterday visited the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune as part of a three-day tour of Maharashtra.
The delegation will also visit ICMR-CRMCH in Chandrapur later this week.
Welcomed by Dr Naveen Kumar, Director of NIV, the media delegation was given a comprehensive briefing on the Institute's cutting-edge virological research and its critical role in managing viral outbreaks in India. Dr. Kumar underscored the Institute's pivotal contribution in isolating and studying various COVID-19 variants, enabling swift nationwide response strategies during the pandemic.
Addressing the media, Dr. Kumar emphasized that the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases posed no significant threat, noting that most patients showed only mild symptoms and required minimal or no medical intervention.
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Highlighting NIV’s prompt response to the Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) outbreak earlier this year, Dr. Kumar credited the Institute’s rapid diagnostics and containment strategies for effectively managing the situation. He further revealed that India is on the brink of launching indigenous vaccines against several emerging viruses, including Mpox, Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), H5N1, and Japanese Encephalitis Virus-like particles (VLP).
A notable milestone shared with the delegation was the recent commissioning of “NAKSHATRA,” India’s first High Performance Computing (HPC) cluster for virological research. The advanced system was inaugurated at NIV Pune by Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General of ICMR, to enhance computational capabilities in virus genomics and bioinformatics.
Established in 1952 in collaboration with the Rockefeller Foundation, NIV Pune has grown into India’s leading virus research and diagnostic center, achieving national prominence under ICMR in 1978. The Institute continues to stand at the forefront of the country’s public health defense infrastructure.
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