Lok Sabha Question No. 1005 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-22
Subject: Life Saving R&D during Epidemics
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: B.N. CHANDRAPPA, KAUSHAL KISHORE, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, K. ASHOK KUMAR, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 1005 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND JULY, 2016

## LIFE SAVING R&D DURI NG EPIDEMICS

## 1005. SHRI B.N. CHANDRAPPA:

SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the World Health Organisation (WHO) has asked membercountries, inc luding India, to develop a Research & Development (R&D) blueprint to accelerate life saving R&D duri epidemics due to seasonal outbreaks like dengue, malaria, Chikungunya and swine flu, etc.;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government thereon, along wi number of cases reported upon due to these diseases during each of the last three years;
- (c) whether the United Nations agency has also asked countries to develop a m osquito control strategies to minimise the impact on socio - economic burden due to these diseases; and
- (d)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  introduction treatment methods, vaccines and preventive care to tackle s uch epidemics?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE )

(a)& (b): World Health Organization has developed a Blueprint for a global strategy t allows  rapid  activation  of  research  and development  activities  for  better  understanding  of  an epidemic  prone  disease,  development  of  life  saving  drugs,  vaccines  and  diagnostics prevention of such epidemics .This Blueprint was unveiled at the World Health Assembly  held in May 2016. As of no w,  India has not adopted this blueprint.

The number of cases of dengue, malaria, chikungunya and swine flu reported during e of the last three years is at Annexure.

- (c)& (d) : UN Medical Services Division for UN Duty Stations has issued guidelines for Best Management Practice for Mosquito Control Program on 23 February 2016. This document is targeted towards UN duty stations with mosquito - borne  diseases,  and  aims  to  provide  best management  practices  to  support  implementation  of  a  comprehe nsive  mosquito  control  and surveillance program in such duty stations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended Integrated Vector Management (IVM) as a strategy to improve vector control. IVM is a decision - making process for the managemen t of vector populations, so as to reduce or interrupt transmission of v -borne diseases. In consonance with the WHO guidelines, National Vector Borne Disease Cont Programme (NVBDCP) has issuedguidelines for integrated vector management for control of mosquito.

The  new  diagnosticsintroducedby  Government  of  India  include bivalent Rapid Diagnostic  Tests for  diagnosis  of  Malaria,  IgM  Elisa  and  NS1  Elisa  tests  for  diagnosis Dengue, IgMElisa for Chikungunya and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and ra pid test for diagnosis of  Kala - azar.The  new  treatment  methods  opted  are Artisunate  Combination  Treatment -Artemether  Lumefantrine  (ACT - AL)    for  the  treatment  of Plasmodium  falciparum cases  in North - East States and Artesunate Sulfadoxine and  Pyrimethamine (ACT - SP) for other states.

JE  vaccine  has  been  introduced  as  part  of  routine  immunization  programme  for affected districts.

As  for  preventive  care, Long  Lasting  Impregnated  Bednets  (LLINs) have  also  been introduced in the NVBDCP as an interventio n tool for vector control.

## Number of cases of Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, and Swine Flu reported during last 3 years (2013 - 15).

| Year                                   |   2013 |    2014 | 2015     |
|----------------------------------------|--------|---------|----------|
| Malaria cases                          | 881730 | 1102205 | 1126661* |
| Dengue Cases                           |  75808 |   40571 | 99913    |
| Clinically suspected Chikungunya Cases |  18840 |   16049 | 27553    |
| Seasonal Influenza A H1N1 (Swine Flu)  |   5253 |     937 | 42592    |

* (provisional)