Health Ministry unveils genome sequencing lab for AMR

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya virtually inaugurated the Whole Genome Sequencing National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and biosafety level (BSL) 3 Laboratory at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) along with Dr Bharati Pawar, MoS (HFW), in New Delhi. The L3 laboratory complex has five floors and houses 22 BSL 2 laboratories. The Division of Zoonotic Disease Programme at NCDC under the ‘National One health Programme for prevention and Control of Zoonoses’ has created IEC materials (Print, Audio & Video) on seven priority zoonotic diseases namely Rabies, Scrub Typhus, Brucellosis, Anthrax, CCHF, Nipah, Kyasanur Forest Disease in India. Mandaviya also unveiled the IEC materials. The Union Health Minister has also launched the National Health Adaptation Plan on Air Pollution and National Health Adaptation Plan on Heat along with infographics and the first newsletter under the ‘National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health’ developed by the Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health, Climate Change and Health at NCDC.