Recently both WHO and the US have announced the establishment of centres to monitor the emergence and spread of new diseases. WHO’s new Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Germany, and the US’ Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics under the CDC...
Biobanks, which are repositories of human biological materials, will shape the future of life science research. This means India needs laws to govern biobanks, that address issues like ethics, data protection, and consent. In this episode, Shambhavi Naik and...
By Sunila Dixit1, Priyal Lyncia D’Almeida1, Manjulika Vaz2 and Shambhavi Naik1 1Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru 2Health & Humanities, St John’s Research Institute, St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru Download this Issue Brief as a PDF Executive Summary Biobanks are...
The recent wave of Covid-19 infections across the United States has been a setback for employers, schools, and universities who were readying to open their offices and campuses. From a “no mask needed for the fully vaccinated” policy 50 days...
Download the Policy Advisory Executive Summary Vaccine mandates are instruments for the government or private institutions to make it compulsory for its citizens/employees/students to be vaccinated for a specific disease in order to avail the benefits and services of the...
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need to develop the ability to assess biological threats. India has mechanisms in place to monitor some health-related trends and biological events, but there exist several lacunae. A Takshashila Institution discussion document proposes the...
Executive Summary The COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the need for India to develop its own capacity to assess emerging biological threats. Reliance on foreign inputs led to delayed actions such as airport closures or screening/quarantine of incoming travelers. We propose...
By Shambhavi Naik and Gedaliah Afterman India’s dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases has refocused the local debate on the mismatch between demand and supply of medical services across the country. This discrepancy is aggravated by local lockdowns impeding access to doctors...
As the Delta variant spreads, there is fear of new mutations causing further waves of COVID-19. Genomic surveillance is key to identify and contain the spread of these new variants. In this episode, Shambhavi Naik, Ruturaj Gowaikar and Priyal...
by Neha Ramesh and Shambhavi Naik Anemia incidence in India has escalated in 2020, necessitating mechanisms to control its extraneous impact on not just children and adult health, but also to generational productivity. Population-based studies on anemia in India are...
