India to strengthen R&D, industrial ecosystem to prepare for future pandemic: Jitendra Singh

New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) Amid the looming threat of zoonotic spillovers, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Monday said that India will strengthen its research and development capacities as well as industrial ecosystem to prepare for future pandemics.

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology said this while discussing NITI Aayog’s report on “future pandemic preparedness”. The report outlines the action pathways to deploy medical countermeasures within 100 days of any future pandemic outbreak.

“India’s deep R&D capacities and the industrial ecosystem will be further strengthened to be ready to respond to any future pandemic,” Singh said.

The Minister also discussed how to mobilise the research and development team and infrastructure along with the industry to work on potential pathogens and prototype vaccines in a strategic, scientific, and proactive way across departments and other stakeholders.

“India’s inter-sectoral One Health Mission has already revamped the pandemic surveillance systems for potential outbreaks,” he said. The report prepared by an Expert Group constituted by NITI Aayog covers recommendations on future pandemic preparedness with a special focus on developing medical countermeasures, specifically, diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics.

It outlines the action pathways to deploy medical countermeasures within 100 days of any future pandemic outbreak. This would require scaling manufacturing capacities, creating forward and backward linkages, enabling regulatory systems, and demonstrating capabilities.

It was noted how India administered more than 220 crore doses of vaccines that were indigenously developed to its citizens during the recent Covid-19 pandemic. The country also shared vaccines with more than 100 countries.

“Indian vaccines utilised practically all the platforms including mRNA, DNA, Adeno-viral and inactivated virus systems. Drugs made in India were exported across the world. Nearly 250 made-in-India Covid diagnostic tests were approved. All this demonstrates our strong scientific-industrial potential,” Singh said.

Singh attributed these to “the coordinated and collective effort across the departments with a whole of government approach”.

–IANS

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