Dr Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates ICMR facility for research in Hyderabad

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], December 17 (ANI): Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday inaugurated ICMR-NARFBR (National Animal Resource Facility for Biomedical Research) at Genome Valley in Hyderabad.

Notably, the Centre will have great significance in the study of animals in biomedical research as it will be crucial in discovering causes, diagnosis and treatment of zoonotic agents and diseases, informed the government through a release on Saturday.

NARFBR is an apex facility which will provide ethical care and use and welfare of laboratory animals during research. The Centre will help in the capacity building of new researchers and will create processes for pre-clinical testing of new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics within the country along with quality assurance checks.

"For any society to move forward, research and innovation remain crucial aspects. India has given a push to indigenous research and this is reaping benefits for us now," Union Health Minister, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya stated while inaugurating ICMR-NARFBR.

"ICMR-NARFBR has the potential to make India a key global player in Biomedical research in the 21st century and play a crucial role in improving the health and welfare of the nation," Dr Mandaviya added.

Speaking on the occasion, the health minister highlighted the government's push for indigenous research and innovation in the country.

He said, "During the COVID pandemic, our Hon'ble Prime Minister emphasized on making indigenous vaccines. When the world was suffering from a shortage of vaccines, India took up this challenge and our scientific community proved their mettle by creating those vaccines."

"When the import of foreign vaccines would have taken 5-10 years, with the political leadership's wholehearted support and stakeholders being mobilised, India's scientific community produced these vaccines in one year's time," he emphasized.

Celebrating India's manpower and brain power, Dr Mandaviya said that Indians have remained at the forefront of creative fields, be it research institutions, technology, or pharma companies.

Highlighting India's key role as the pharmacy of the world, Dr Mandaviya said, "For every four pills made in the world, one is made in India. Thus, we now want to make India a hub not just for medicine manufacturing but for pharma research as well."

Reiterating the Government of India's dedication towards creating a vibrant ecosystem of research and innovation in the country, Union Health Minister emphasized that the government was taking several steps to ease access to quality education and research training.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, Director General of ICMR and Secretary of the Department of Health Research, who was also present here, termed the facility to be not just the best in the country but the biggest in the world.

"From the availability of various animals for ethical research to strengthening various processes under one umbrella, NARFBR would be an asset for the country to deal with zoonotic diseases," he added. (ANI)