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Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda will lay the foundation stone of the ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research (ICMR-CHAMP) at Keylong in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh on October 12, according to an official statement released on Sunday.
The facility will be the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) first dedicated centre focused entirely on high-altitude medicine and public health research. Established under the Department of Health Research, the centre aims to strengthen multidisciplinary research, biomedical innovation, and capacity building tailored for India's high-altitude, climate-sensitive Himalayan ecosystems. "The Himalayan ecosystem presents distinctive public health challenges arising from high altitude, extreme climatic conditions, difficult terrain, geographical isolation, and increasing climate variability," the release stated, adding that the centre will focus on scientific evidence generation and context-specific healthcare solutions for border populations and armed forces personnel stationed in difficult terrains. The research mandate of the centre encompasses high-altitude physiology, acclimatisation, mountain medicine, disaster medicine, infectious and non-communicable diseases, mental health, and nutritional outcomes. In addition, the centre will deploy modern technological interventionsincluding telemedicine, digital health platforms, drone-enabled healthcare logistics, and real-time disease surveillanceto serve remote and isolated habitations. Given its strategically vital location in Lahaul and Spiti, the centre will foster institutional collaborations with the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), national research institutes, and the Government of Himachal Pradesh. The foundation-laying ceremony will feature a traditional 'Bhumi Pujan', ceremonial groundbreaking, unveiling of the foundation stone plaque, and a sapling plantation drive under the 'Green ICMR Campus Initiative'. The Union Health Minister will also inaugurate a scientific exhibition, launch the institutional website, and release a commemorative postal special cover. The high-profile event will be attended by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth; Leader of the Opposition and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur; Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut; and Lahaul-Spiti MLA Anuradha Rana. Top medical and defence officials, including Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja (Director General, AFMS) and Dr. Rajiv Bahl (Secretary, Department of Health Research & Director General, ICMR), along with scientists, public health experts, and state administrative officials, will also be present at the ceremony. (ANI)
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