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Indian Council of Medical Research Overview The Indian Council of Medical Research is an understand local immunity in leprosy and immuno- autonomous organization under the Ministry of Health therapeutic studies on the efficacy of Mw vaccine were and Family Welfare, Government of India and is the also conducted during the year. main funding agency for medical research in the Country. During the year 2000-2001, modernization of laboratories The National Institute of Cholera and Enteric of ICMR institutes/centres initiated during 1998-99 was Diseases, Kolkata is conducting studies on a number continued. of diarrhoea causing pathogens such as Vibrio cholerae, Shigella spp., V.parahaemolyticus, Salmonella To increase awareness about ethical issues and typhimurium, rotavirus and Entamoeba histolytica. intellectual property rights in medical research among During the year, outbreaks of leptospirosis reported the scientific community, workshops were organized from various parts of the country were investigated by during the year. Indo-foreign collaborative projects the Councils Regional Medical Research Centre, Port were also supported by the Council. Blair besides clinical, serological and epidemiological studies on leptospirosis. Highlights of research activities of the Council are presented below: The Council has taken up studies on vector and parasite biology, chemotherapy, molecular epidemiology, Communicable Diseases entomology and diagnostic studies on malaria, filariasis and leishmaniasis. Under the integrated vector control The Council continued research on the basic, clinical programme, a study has been initiated in Sundergarh and epidemiological aspects of a number of prevalent district of Orissa to develop a field site for vaccine trials bacterial, parasitic and viral diseases including acquired besides the roll back malaria initiative in pilot districts immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The Chennai based (Jodhpur, Aizwal, Tumkur, Keonjhar) and entire Goa state. Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC) of the Council is Distribution of malaria and filariasis has been studied conducting various studies on tuberculosis to strengthen using geographical information system maps. the revised national tuberculosis control programme. Attempts are being made to develop more effective During the year under review, studies were continued drug regimens and monitoring of drug resistance. for development of vaccine against Japanese encephalitis, Operational studies for better implementation of DOTS surveillance of poliomyelitis, molecular epidemiology of (directly observed treatment short-course), and wild polioviruses, molecular biology of hepatitis and immunological and biochemical studies have also been epidemiology of dengue. Acquired immunodeficiency carried out. syndrome (AIDS)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continue to remain a priority area of research In the field of leprosy, the Councils Central JALMA by the Council. Socio-behavioural and epidemiological Institute for Leprosy (CJIL) at Agra is assisting the studies, development of AIDS vaccine and studies on National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) which molecular pathogenesis and immunological aspects of has shown considerable improvement in terms of HIV infection were continued during the year. The National reduction in prevalence rates. Therapeutic trials have AIDS Research Institute (NARI) at Pune is participating been conducted for testing the efficacy of a number in a feasibility study of azidothymidine treatment for of multidrug regimens. Immunological studies to reducing mother to child transmission of HIV infection. Annual Report 2000-01 ICMR Institutional Network An Overview Reproductive Health Non-communicable Diseases Research in the field of reproductive health was During 2000-2001, priority areas of research in focussed on male and female contraceptives, non-communicable diseases comprised cancer (breast, emergency contraception, male and female infertility cervical and prostate), cardiovascular diseases, and expression of functional markers in primate glaucoma, psychiatric disorders in children, suicide endometrium. An operational study was conducted behaviour, disability and rehabilitation. Jai Vigyan to assess the contraceptive knowledge and practices Mission mode project on community control of rheumatic of women seeking abortion. Four kits have been fever/rheumatic heart disease was continued to study developed for quantitation of reproductive hormones the epidemiology and vaccine development for and a separate study was conducted to assess the streptococcal infections. A study of mental health service feasibility of using pregnancy detection kit in PHCs/ needs of the earthquake affected population in Gujarat villages and urban slums. Management practices of was initiated during the year. For community control pregnant women with meconium stained amniotic of thalassaemia syndrome, screening of population fluid and meconium aspiration syndrome were studied has been started and education, awareness and by 21 Human Reproduction Research Centres of the counselling material has been prepared under the Jai Council. Vigyan mission mode project. The Council is continuing studies on other haematological disorders also such Nutrition as G-6-PD deficiency, myelodysplastic syndrome, bleeding disorders and haemoglobinopathies in tribal The Councils National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) populations of India. at Hyderabad and the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau conducted a series of community surveys in Basic Medical Sciences different parts of the country for assessment of diet and nutritional status of the population. Drought Multidisciplinary studies in traditional medicine were surveys were undertaken in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat continued by the Advanced Centres at Lucknow and and Rajasthan. Safety and feasibility of administering Mumbai and at other institutes in the country. During vitamin A alongwith oral polio vaccine was assessed the year the Clinical Pharmacology Unit established in five randomly selected districts of Orissa. Other at TRC, Chennai studied the herbal immunomodulators areas of research included bioavailability of and hepatoprotective drugs as adjunct to anti- micronutrients and trace elements, food and drug tuberculosis drugs. Multicentric studies were conducted toxicology and role of diet in cancer. Basic and applied on Pterocarpus marsupium (Vijaysar) and Picrorrhiza studies on obese mutant rats were continued. kurroa, Terminalia chebula and Centella asiatica. An in-house neem oil preparation has been standardized Environmental and Occupational Health at the Advanced Centre in Clinical Pharmacolgoy at Seth G.S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai. The National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) at Ahmedabad and its regional centres at A programme has been initiated to develop Bangalore and Calcutta continued studies on health standards for 160 therapeutically important medicinal problems of industrial workers engaged in manganese plants. mining, tobacco harvesting, quartz and agate grinding and pesticide formulation. A study was undertaken in Studies were continuted on the pathogenesis of child labour employed in match industry at Sivakasi systemic lupus erythematosus, antioxidant effects of (Tamil Nadu) and in cycle rickshaw pullers in Kolkata. garlic/onion oil, development of novel uterine relaxants, Psychological evaluation of children exposed to lead pharmacokinetics of rifampicin and ofloxacin and role (through lead smelting units) revealed that their of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in performance IQ was depressed significantly. myocardial stunning. Annual Report 2000-01 Publication, Information and Communication details of the services being provided. ICMR web page (http://www.icmr.nic.in) gives information on ICMR The ICMR continued to bring out the Indian Journal institutes, research projects and publications etc. of of Medical Research, ICMR Bulletin, ICMR Patrika and the Council. The ICMR Hqrs. And its institutes organized Annual Report in English and Hindi. This year the National Science Day (NSD), lectures, discussion, open ICMR Patrika was awarded the Utkrishta Patrika houses, exhibitions etc. for dissemination of health Samman, in Millenium World Hindi Conference. The information to general public including school children. ICMR-NIC Centre for Biomedical Information has The theme of the NSD for the year 2001 was Information developed a webpage (http://indmed.nic.in) giving Technology for Education. Communicable Diseases Infectious diseases remain a cause of major public operational research for better implementation of directly health concern. Currently, known communicable diseases observed treatment short-course (DOTS). dominate the disease pattern. Malaria and kala-azar have re-appeared. An added cause of concern is the Clinical Trials emergence of drug resistant tuberculosis, malaria and gonococcal infections. Equally alarming have been the The TRC is currently undertaking a randomised reported outbreaks of leptospirosis in some parts of clinical trial to assess the efficacy of 3, 4 and 5 month the country. New diseases like HIV infection have spread regimens in the treatment of sputum positive pulmonary to all parts of the country. Diarrhoeal diseases continue tuberculosis viz. (i) three months of ofloxacin(O) isoniazid to be one of the leading causes of childhood deaths. (H), rifampicin (R) and pyrazinamide (Z) daily (Reg.1); In addition, Japanese encephalitis, dengue and dengue (ii) three months of OHRZ daily followed
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