Nadda to lay foundation stone of ICMR's high-altitude medicine centre in Keylong

New Delhi: Union Health Minister J P Nadda will on Monday lay the foundation stone of the ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research in Himachal Pradesh's Keylong, aimed at strengthening biomedical research and healthcare preparedness in the Himalayan region.

The centre, being established by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), will focus on public-health challenges arising from high-altitude, extreme-weather conditions, difficult terrain, geographical isolation and climate variability, a statement issued by the health ministry said.

Located in Lahaul and Spiti district, the facility will be the country's first dedicated centre for high-altitude medicine and public-health research, providing a platform for multidisciplinary studies involving high-altitude and tribal populations, according to the statement.

Its research areas will include high-altitude physiology and acclimatisation, mountain medicine, climate-sensitive and emerging diseases, infectious and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, nutrition, mental health, environmental and occupational health, and disaster medicine.

The centre will also explore the use of digital health platforms, telemedicine, drone-enabled healthcare logistics and real-time public-health surveillance to improve healthcare delivery in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

The initiative is expected to facilitate long-term field studies examining the relationship between environmental conditions, climate variability and health outcomes, while contributing to tribal health, disaster preparedness and the development of climate-resilient healthcare systems, the statement said.

It will also strengthen India's contribution to global research in high-altitude medicine, it added.

The initiative will promote institutional collaboration with the Armed Forces Medical Services, national research institutions and the Himachal Pradesh government to support translational research, scientific exchange, capacity building and evidence-based policymaking.