The Central government is working to develop India’s health sector completely and make it self-reliant, said Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya after inaugurating the five new facilities at the Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR-NIMR) here on Thursday.
“Research and innovation will create a robust health research ecosystem and will be twin engines to drive our global competitiveness. ‘Jai Anusandhan’ (hail innovation) is a very important principle in the endeavour towards making India self-reliant,” he said.
The minister said it is the aim of the Centre to take India to the forefront in the field of health and scientific evidence-based treatment and also noted the need for high-quality laboratories to fight the emerging variants of diseases like COVID.
He urged the scientists, innovators and other people of the country who are developing new technologies in the field of health to use their new ideas, new thoughts, new innovations and new technologies to fulfil the dream of ‘New India’.
Highlighting the journey of ICMR and its role in shaping India’s medical research landscape, Mandaviya said, “With ICMR’s support, India provided COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostic kits, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to over 110 countries, reflecting the nation’s commitment to global health and solidarity”.
He also commended ICMR-NIMR for pioneering India’s research towards tackling malaria.
“Strengthening the institute’s infrastructure is a step towards moving to malaria elimination in the country by 2030,” the minister said.
He also stressed on the need to put collective efforts not only on eradicating malaria but also other vector-borne diseases like dengue, Japanese Encephalitis, chikungunya, and filariasis.
Mandaviya further said, “This inauguration is indicative of the focus of the government on research and innovation in every field of health.”