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The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) India, is organising a two-day Chintan Shivir on "Strengthening Interministerial and Intersectoral Convergence for Influenza Preparedness and Response" from December 22 and 23 in New Delhi.
According to an official statement from the Ministry, the Chintan Shivir aims to provide a structured platform for deliberations among key stakeholders to strengthen preparedness and response mechanisms ahead of the upcoming influenza season in the country. Addressing the inaugural session virtually today, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda, stated that the Chintan Shivir offers an important opportunity for all stakeholders to deliberate on various dimensions of preparedness for resilience against influenza. He emphasised that it is vital to ensure preparedness and response activities, including surge capacities, are well aligned for the forthcoming influenza season. The Union Health Minister further underlined the importance of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), stressing that coordinated and synergistic efforts by the Centre and States are essential to ensure robust and collaborative surveillance systems across India. The Chintan Shivir witnessed participation from around 110 representatives from a wide range of ministries, departments and institutions, reflecting strong multisectoral engagement. Participants included officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), National Institute of Virology (NIV), partner organisations, and States and Union Territories. Eleven States participated in person, while others joined virtually, enabling cross-learning through the sharing of best practices and experiences, the ministry said. Influenza continues to pose a significant public health challenge in India and globally, with periodic outbreaks resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly among vulnerable populations such as young children, older adults, pregnant women and individuals with chronic illnesses. Against this backdrop, the Chintan Shivir was convened at a critical juncture. The Union Health Ministry continues to closely monitor seasonal influenza trends across States and UTs in real time through the IDSP network. Deliberations emphasized that influenza preparedness cannot remain siloed and must be supported through convergence across sectors for surveillance, early warning, laboratory preparedness, clinical readiness and effective risk communication. The ministry said that a key outcome of the Chintan Shivir is the advancement of a more structured and actionable approach to preparedness review by States, UTs and institutions. This includes the development of a practical preparedness checklist to support readiness assessments, identify gaps and guide time-bound follow-up actions. The discussions reinforced the need for timely information sharing, clarity of roles and responsibilities, and coordinated action across departments. (ANI)
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