Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Launches AI Pathogen Tool and New Clinical Trial Mandates

Key facts

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven pathogen detection tool designed to predict the spread of serious diseases and future pandemics.
• A new mandate from the ICMR requires medical clinical trials to prioritise Indian body types and lifestyles to ensure greater accuracy in health data.
• The ICMR has commenced human trials for an improved vaccine against Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), an infectious disease prevalent in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra.
• The ICMR announced a syndromic surveillance plan that uses priority-wise categorisation of pathogens to identify and catch potential outbreaks before they spread.
• Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Director General (DG) of the ICMR and Secretary of the Department of Health Research (DHR), advocated for a robust One Health approach to strengthen India's pandemic preparedness.