Research going in vector borne disease by ICMR

Research on Vector-Borne
Diseases
Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR)
supports research on vector
borne diseases (VBDs) through
its extramural and intramural
programmes. The various
Institutes of ICMR which have
been involved in research on
vector borne diseases are
National Institute of Malaria
Research (NIMR), Delhi, Vector
Control Research Centre (VCRC),
Puducherry, Rajendra Memorial
Research Institute (RMRI),
Patna, Centre for Research in
Madical Entomology (CRME),
Madurai, Regional Medical
Research Centres (RMRC) at
Bhubaneshwar, Dibrugarh,
Jabalpur, Portblair and Jodhpur
and Nationl Institute of
Virology (NIV), Pune which has
been designated as the WHO
Collaborating Centre for
Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic
Fever Reference and Research
and Rapid Diagnosis of Viral
Diseases.
There is no separate
Budget earmarked for research
projects relating to
development of vaccines and
affordable drugs for control of
vector borne diseases.
Some of the vaccines and drugs
trials that have been conducted
by ICMR have benefited the
common masses. These
include, inter-alia the
following:
1. Development of an
inactivated tissue
culture vaccine against
Indian strain of
Japanese encephalitis
virus.
2. Introduction of
Artemisinin Based
Combination Therapy
(ACTs) in National Drug
Policy for Malaria.
3. Evaluation of
treatment practices to
know the extent of
irrational use of anti-
malarials which lead to
phasing out of
artemisininmonotherapy
from the country.
4. Clinical trials to assess
the safety and efficacy
of anti Kala-azar drugs.
5. Assessment of
operational feasibility
and impact of co-
administration of DEC
and albendazole and for
DEC alone (2000-2001).
(d) & (e) : No. ICMR has
formulated a Vector Science
Forum to support research on
VBDs with the aim to provide a
platform where vector
biologists, entomologists,
programme people,
researchers/institutes working
on vectors/vector-borne
diseases can interact and share
information on public health
priorities on vector research.
The Forum identifies gap areas
and prioritizes and needs in
vector research of the
programme/policies for the
control of vector-borne diseases
in the country and identifies the
thrust areas to address the
challenges.