 |
|
|
|
Centre for Epidemiology |
|
|
The
Epidemiology Division is a core division engaged in strengthening
epidemiological services through training, surveillance, outbreak
investigation & post-disaster health assessment services, and
operational research. It coordinated the National Surveillance Programme
for Communicable Diseases (NSPCD), which led to the Integrated Disease
Surveillance Project (IDSP) launched on 8th November 2004. The Division now conducts training
for identified states to implement IDSP. It has conducted several
operational research studies, which have provided valuable inputs for
health programmes.
It is a WHO
Collaborating Centre for Epidemiology & Training. The division also
coordinates the responsibility of NICD as the National Focal Point for
International Health Regulations (IHR). The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
has identified NICD as the nodal institute for health component of
bioterrorism.
The
Division focuses on:
·
Developing skilled
manpower in epidemiology urgently required for strengthening the
epidemiological capability in the centre and states/UTs.
·
Emerging and
re-emerging diseases and new diseases, like SARS and Avian
Influenza.
·
Providing services
for outbreak investigations and health assessment following
disasters.
·
Developing
expertise in areas like environmental, non-communicable diseases &
disaster epidemiology
·
Application of
latest tools of Information Technology, like GIS and web surveillance, in
epidemiological practice.
·
Tackling the
potential threat of bio-terrorism agents and increased preparedness and
response for health consequences of
disasters.
The
Division of Epidemiology has the following
sections:
i.
Epidemiological
Surveillance & IDSP Training
ii.
Emerging/Re-emerging
Diseases
iii.
Water-Borne
& Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
iv.
Vector-Borne
& Zoonotic Diseases
v.
Non-Communicable
Diseases & Occupational/Environmental Health
vi.
Disaster
Epidemiology & Bioterrorism Cell
vii.
Public
Health Legislation & International Health Regulations
viii.
Field
Epidemiology Training Programme
The Division
oversees the functioning of the NICD Branches located at Alwar
(Rajasthan), Jagdalpur (Chattisgarh) and Coonoor (Tamil
Nadu).
Highlight of activities from April to August, 2007
MANPOWER
DEVELOPMENT
Development of trained health manpower
in the field of epidemiology is an important activity of NICD.
Currently, there is a shortage of professional trained field
epidemiologists, at various levels of the public health system
in
-
A 3-month course in Field Epidemiology for public health professionals.
-
A 4-week Regional Training course on prevention and control of communicable diseases for paramedical personnel
The Division of
Epidemiology conducts regular training programmes and numerous other
short-term training activities every year. The course curricula of these
training programmes are designed and tailor-made to develop the necessary
need-based skills for the health professionals. The participants to these
courses come from different States/
The courses organized recently
include:
1.
One month Regional
Training Programme on prevention and control of communicable diseases for
Paramedical Personnel of South East Asia Region (7 August to 3 September
2007). Sixteen participants from
2.
Two week disease
surveillance and field epidemiology training programme for district
surveillance officers IDSP was organized from 16 to 28 July, 2007. A new
curriculum and training package specially developed for this programme was
pilot tested in this course and finalized with
changes.
The World Health Organization,
SEARO has selected NICD for piloting the new three-month Field
Epidemiology Training Programme with a revised curriculum. The course will
commence on 11th September 2007. 18 participants from various
countries in the
Master of Public Health (Field Epidemiology) [MPH (FE)] course
NICD has
launched 2-year MPH (Field Epidemiology) course with affiliation from the
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi for developing a pool of
public health professionals in the discipline of Field Epidemiology for
manning the various positions in centre and states/UTs and for providing
epidemiological support to the National Rural Health Mission, the
Integrated Disease Surveillance Project and the various National Health
Programmes in addressing public health needs and priorities efficiently
and effectively.
The first
batch of MPH (FE) scholars commenced training on 1 March 2006. The batch
has 19 scholars. The second batch started in August 2006 and has 17
scholars including 3 WHO Fellows (2 from DPR Korea and 1 from
 |
 |
 |
 |
OUTBREAKS INVESTIGATED/ RAPID HEALTH
ASSESSMENT
Officers from the
division of Epidemiology carry out investigations of outbreaks in the
country and provide advice on containment measures to the state
authorities. Some of the recent outbreaks investigated are:
(i) Chikungunya fever in Jaggasandra village,
Bengalooru rural district, Karnataka state (30 March to 3 April, 2007)
(ii)
Investigation of
seven deaths in children following vomiting in Madatola Village, Nagod
Block, Satna district, Madhya Pradesh (30 March to 1 April,
2007)
(iii)
Investigation of
deaths due to fever in Nadia district of West Bengal (2-4 May,
2007)
(iv)
Field investigation
following Poulty Deaths in Matigara block, Siliguri,
(v)
Investigation of
Chikungunya Fever outbreak in Kerala (27-30 May
2007)
(vi)
Investigation of
Mysterious illness in Kerala (14-18 July
2007)
(vii)
Investigation of
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES)/Japanese Encephalitis in
(viii)
Investigated typhus
fever in Himachal Pradesh (August, 2007)
(ix) Monitored the bird flu related activities in Imphal, Manipur (July-August 2007)
(x)
Investigation of
deaths due to acute gastroenteritis in
Memorandum of
Understanding with Department of Drinking Water Supply for
Community-based National
Water
Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Programme (NWQMSP) in various
States
A Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Drinking Water Supply
(DDWS), Ministry of Rural Development, GOI and the National Institute of
Communicable Diseases (NICD), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for
community-based water quality monitoring and surveillance programme in the
country was mutually agreed and signed on 2nd February, 2006.
The objective was
to lay down modalities to ensure provision of safe and potable drinking
water to rural areas by provider of drinking water. NICD has been identified as National Referral Institute (NRI)
to provide technical
consultancy and advice to DDWS in administering and implementing
Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance Programme (WQM&SP) in the
following areas:
·
Strengthening and
upgradation of water quality testing laboratory at different State and
District levels.
·
Specification of
laboratory equipment and reagents for Water Quality Monitoring (WQM)
tests.
·
Supervisory visits
to review the situation in the field and laboratory in different
states.
·
Interpreting and
evaluating the data pertaining to drinking water quality referred by DDWS
or state level referral institutions and establishing linkages between
water quality monitoring and surveillance and trend of water- borne
diseases.
·
Assess technical
aspect of State level Referral Institution/Laboratory and other
participating laboratories in this programme.
·
Inspect the water
quality testing facilities available in different
laboratories.
Activities carried out by NICD
under MoU
·
Three training
courses have been conducted for Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance
Programme covering 65 State level officers, such as Public Health
Engineers or Chief Chemists working at State Public Health Engineering
Laboratories during July – September 2006.
·
To identify
technical and methodological gaps and other laboratory related problems
for implementation of the programme, NICD faculty have assessed 14 State
Level Public Health Engineering Laboratories/State Referral Laboratories
(SRL) of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
·
Reviewed the
training manuals for state, district, block and village level and provided
comments/suggestions for finalization and printing.
·
Several meetings,
conferences and workshops attended on Water Quality Monitoring related
subjects organized by DDWS.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
(i)
Coordinated signing
of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Secretary, Department of
Health & Family Welfare, Government of India and Regional Director,
WHO/SEARO at Nirman Bhavan, New Delhi for establishment of Regional
Sub-unit of WHO on Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response at
NICD, Delhi (4th April, 2007).
(ii)
Coordinated signing
of Memorandum of Collaboration between Addl DG & Director, NICD
and Executive Director, National Board of Examination for strengthening
public health training in
(iii)
Organised
WHO-sponsored workshop of stakeholders for preparedness for
implementing IHR (2005) at NICD,
(iv)
Selection test for
third batch of MPH (FE) students for 2007-08 was held on 24th June, 2007.
Based on the results of entrance test, counseling committee held two
meetings and admitted 11 candidates
(v)
Providing technical
support to the PH Division of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
in finalizing draft of Public Health Emergency Bill.
(vi)
Induction
ceremony of the new (3rd)
batch of 11 MPH (FE) students was held on 6th August 2007 at NICD, with Dr
J.P. Narain, Director, CDS, WHO/SEARO, as chief
guest and Dr A.K. Sood, Executive Director, NBE as special invitee.
(vii)
National Polio
Surveillance Programme (NPSP) evaluation of the state of
(viii) Check-list for outbreak investigation is finalized and is being disseminated
FACULTY:
The division has the following
officers:
Dr S. Venkatesh, Joint Director & Head
Engaged
in capacity building and research, developed curriculum and planned the
MPH (Field Epidemiology) course, Coordinated with WHO/SEARO for
establishment of Regional Sub-unit on CSR and with National Board of
Examinations for development of public health
training.
Dr Uma Chawla, Joint Director & Coordinator
Supervises the
Outbreak Monitoring cell, interested in vaccine-preventable diseases and
water-borne diseases. Implemented MOU
with Department of Drinking Water Supply on field-based water quality
monitoring and surveillance.
Working on Health Legislations
with focus on implementation of International Health Regulations and
drafting of new legislation on public health emergencies. Interested in disaster epidemiology, and avian
influenza. Carrying out Operational Research
study on networking of Infectious Disease Hospitals in disease
surveillance.
Coordinator for Field Epidemiology
Training Programmes, working on viral encephalitis and typhus fevers, has
done a project on Epidemiology of Road Traffic Accidents as part of WHO
Fellowship at NIMHANS, Bengalooru.
Working on
vector-borne diseases, especially dengue/DHF and Chikungunya, and zoonotic
diseases. Coordinates work
related to health aspects of bioterrosim and the work of NICD Branches
attached to Epidemiology Division.
Involved in training
programmes, supervising field work. Interested in non-communicable
diseases.
Photo Gallery
Guidelines
RTI Act
CDAlert
Related Links
Downloads
|
| Disclaimer: Whereas reasonable care has been taken to ensure authenticity of contents on this site. NICD cannot be held liable for any damages caused. |
| Designed & Developed by : NIC( National Informatics Centre) | Maintained by IDSP |