Union Minister J P Nadda Lays Foundation Stone for India’s First High-Altitude Medicine Centre in Himachal Pradesh

Key facts

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is establishing the ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research at Keylong in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.
• Union Health Minister J P Nadda laid the foundation stone for this facility, which is India’s first dedicated research centre for high-altitude medicine, on 11 July 2026.
• The facility will upgrade the existing field station of the ICMR into a multidisciplinary research hub focused on diseases and healthcare challenges associated with high-altitude living.
• Scientists at the centre will study altitude physiology, acclimatisation, mountain medicine, climate-sensitive diseases, and the impact of climate change on fragile Himalayan ecosystems.
• The research scope includes infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, nutrition, mental health, occupational health, and disaster medicine.
• The centre aims to develop healthcare solutions for remote mountain communities using telemedicine, digital health platforms, and drone-based delivery of medicines and diagnostics.
• The ICMR will collaborate with the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and the Himachal Pradesh government for this initiative.
• The project includes the Green ICMR Campus initiative, which involves the plantation of native Himalayan saplings and the release of a commemorative postal special cover.