SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
The World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) hosted the Eleventh Meeting of the Polio Laboratory Network, with high-level participation from the WHO Country Office for India (WCO India) and the National Polio Laboratories from India. The meeting focused on strategic planning for contingency planning and self-sufficiency within the polio laboratories across the region, crucial for maintaining the regionβs polio-free status. Key objectives included enhancing technical knowledge, reviewing preparedness for sudden workload surges, and adapting advanced diagnostics. The meeting highlights the ongoing importance of Indiaβs NIV Mumbai Unit in regional health security, as it functions as a Global Specialized Laboratory for Polio. Outcomes included enhanced competencies of lab colleagues on risk assessment (RA) and root cause analysis (RCA) for polio-specific functions.
This meeting underscores the persistent need for India, which achieved polio-free certification in 2014, to invest in disease surveillance infrastructure (laboratories) to protect this status. The focus on self-sustenance directly informs policy on transforming specialized disease-specific labs into robust, self-reliant public health security assets capable of handling future outbreaks (e.g., pandemic preparedness).
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can the Ministry of Health and ICMR ensure sustainable funding and mandate the transformation of Indiaβs specialized disease laboratories into integrated bio-surveillance hubs?
Follow the full news here: Eleventh Meeting of South-East Asia Region Polio Network and Capacity Building Workshop on Risk Assessment (Hybrid)