Third Annual Public Health Lecture- School of Public Health PGI

By 121 News

Chandigarh 27^th July:- School of Public Health, PGI, Chandigarh organized third Annual Public Health lecture on Wednesday, in Lecture Theature-1, Nehru Hospital, PGI, Chandigarh . Dr. M.K.Bhan who is currently a National Science Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, Government of India, President of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry; and Formerly Secretary to Government of India, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology addressed the students, faculty and other public health professionals of SPH on the theme "The Art and Science of Vaccinology".

It is Dr Bhan's innovation that India has for the first time an indigenous vaccine against rotavirus diarrhea, so as to prevent morbidity and mortality due to severe dehydration due to rotavirus diarrhea among less than five-year-old children. In recognition of his services to the country, he was conferred the Padma Bhushan by the Indian Government in 2013.

During the lecture, Dr Bhan shared his journey of rotavirus vaccine development and talked about many aspects that goes into manufacturing of vaccines and making it accessible to public. He emphasized that public health professionals need to be visionary, tolerant and good team managers. India has big industries for vaccine manufacturing and done well in conducting trials but he highlighted that there is a vacuum to advocate the vaccine with the policymakers and public at large. He concluded by saying that there is huge opportunity for vaccine development in India. 

In the end, he released the second issue of Public Health Bulletin, an endeavor of 'MPH Network'.