Indian Council of Medical Research

🩸 World Sickle Cell Day | Closing the Survival Gap: Equity in Sickle Cell Care

Today, on World Sickle Cell Day, we join the global community in raising awareness about Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)- a lifelong inherited blood disorder that continues to impose a significant health burden, particularly in low-resource and tribal populations.

India carries one of the highest burdens of SCD outside Africa, making it a critical public health priority. Recognizing this challenge, the Government of India launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, with an ambitious vision to eliminate SCD as a public health problem by 2047, aligning with the nation's centenary year of independence.

The mission aims to screen over 7 crore individuals aged 0–40 years across 17 high-prevalence states, with a special focus on tribal communities. Its approach is built on three pillars:
☑️ awareness and genetic counselling,
☑️ universal screening and early detection, and
☑️ comprehensive long-term care.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) continues to play a pivotal role in supporting this national mission through evidence-based research and innovation. Key contributions include:
🔬 Development and validation of affordable point-of-care diagnostic tests
👶 Newborn screening initiatives enabling early intervention and improved quality of life
🤝 Community-based models like SAHAY for integrated screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care
💙 Research on stigma reduction and psychosocial support for patients and caregivers
🏛️ Establishing ICMR- CRMCH, Chandrapur, Maharashtra, to strengthen research and healthcare infrastructure in the field of hemoglobinopathies

On this , let us strengthen our collective resolve to bridge gaps in awareness, diagnosis, and treatment, empowering individuals and communities affected by Sickle Cell Disease to lead healthier and more productive lives.

🚀 Introducing ICMR Research Support Portals !!!

In a significant stride towards strengthening India’s scientific and research architecture, ICMR has unveiled a comprehensive suite of Research Support Portals.

Conceived as an integrated digital ecosystem, these portals are designed to streamline access to critical research resources, enhance efficiency, and foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, and innovation.

This initiative marks a transformative step in empowering researchers, institutions, and stakeholders across the country, reaffirming ICMR’s commitment to building a future-ready, responsive, and globally competitive research ecosystem for India.

Explore at 🔗 https://www.icmr.gov.in/icmr-research-support-portals

The recent US FDA approval of a novel antibiotic highlights how antimicrobial innovation can be strengthened by robust surveillance data, clinical evidence, and a deep understanding of local resistance patterns.

Data generated through ICMR's Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance Network helped characterize resistance mechanisms prevalent in Indian pathogens and identify critical unmet treatment needs. These insights contributed to the scientific evidence base that informed the development of a novel β-lactam enhancer strategy—an approach that differs from conventional β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations by simultaneously targeting two essential bacterial cell-wall synthesis proteins, PBP2 and PBP3, resulting in enhanced antibacterial activity against resistant organisms.

This achievement underscores the importance of sustained investments in AMR surveillance, translational research, and innovation ecosystems. It also demonstrates how evidence generated in India can contribute meaningfully to global efforts to combat drug-resistant infections.

Read article here:

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/an-indian-antibiotic-on-the-global-stage-10721063/

🌏 World Environment Day 2026

🌿 Inspired by Nature . For Climate . For Our Future . 🌿

From studying the health impacts of air pollution and climate change to strengthening water quality monitoring, and environmental surveillance, ICMR continues to generate evidence to support a healthier and more sustainable future for all.

Together, science and collective action can help protect our planet and safeguard public health for generations to come. 🌱💚

In a landmark step towards strengthening the agriculture–health nexus, ICMR and ICAR have jointly launched (Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation)- a national mission-mode program aimed at translating agricultural innovation into better nutrition, preventive healthcare, and improved public health outcomes for India. 🇮🇳

The initiative will focus on:
🌾 Biofortified & nutrient-dense crops for improved nutrition
🥗 Integrated farming systems for diversified diets & farmer resilience
👨🌾 Occupational health & safety of agricultural workers
❤️ Functional foods & nutritionally superior crops to address NCDs
🦠 One Health preparedness through integrated surveillance & research

SEHAT will generate evidence across the farm-to-diet-to-health continuum to support scalable national programs and policies.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research

ICMR is strengthening to***co control through research, innovation, and evidence-based action.

From generating evidence that informed action against surrogate to***co advertising during sports broadcasts to strengthening to***co product regulation through the National To***co Testing Laboratory, ICMR-NICPR continues to support impactful public health interventions across the country.

As the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub on Smokeless To***co, ICMR-NICPR contributes to global to***co control efforts spanning 180+ countries. The institute has also been honoured with the WHO Director-General Special Award 2026 for its outstanding contributions to to***co control research, evidence generation, and policy impact.

Through research, surveillance, policy support, and digital innovations for to***co screening and cessation, ICMR-NICPR is helping shape a healthier, to***co-free future.

Together, let us work towards a to***co-free India.

ICMR has released comprehensive guidelines to create a harmonized framework for biorepository governance across its institutes, building on the wide range of biological specimens available nationwide.

The guidelines provide a clear structure for setting up and managing biorepositories, with standardized practices for the collection, storage, management, and sharing of biological specimens. It focus on quality systems, biosafety and biosecurity, data management, and ethical and regulatory compliance, while allowing flexibility based on the type of specimens at each institute.

🟣 Mandate: Establish a uniform system for the use of biospecimen resources in India to support innovation.

🟣 Goals: Develop biorepositories for systematic biospecimen collection, preservation, and long-term research use.

🟣 Objectives:
🔶 Standardize processes through integrated information systems for collection, storage, sharing, and use of biological materials across ICMR institutes.
🔶 Ensure availability of well-characterized, high-quality biospecimens for research, education, and product development.
🔶 Build national capacity by strengthening expertise in biorepository management and operations.

These guidelines mark an important step towards strengthening India’s biomedical research ecosystem through consistent and high-quality biospecimen management.

Read Here:
🔗https://www.icmr.gov.in/icmrobject/uploads/Guidelines/1779287592_biorepositoryfinal_v2.pdf

On International Clinical Trials Day, ICMR hosted the 1st ICMR Annual Clinical Trial Meet 2026 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi!

With the theme "Focus on Integrative Medicine Clinical Trials", the meet brought together policymakers, researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders to strengthen India’s clinical trial ecosystem and advance evidence-based integrative healthcare.

Highlights from the day:

🔷 Chief Guest Address: Insightful keynote by Prof. (Dr.) V. K. Paul, Former Member (Health), NITI Aayog.

Key Launches:

🔷 Unveiling of the “Advancing First-in-Human Phase 1 Clinical Trials in India: A Delphi Study” by Clinical Studies and Trials Unit, ICMR, New Delhi
🔷 Operational Guidelines for Single Ethics Review of Multicentre Research 2026 by ICMR Bioethics Unit, Bengaluru.

Key Focus:
🔷 Key findings from the ICMR-CCRAS clinical trial on iron deficiency anaemia in Indian women of reproductive age, highlighting two AYUSH-based formulations as alternatives to standard of care
🔷 Accelerating evidence-based integrative medicine and strengthening the ICMR-INTENT Clinical Trial network across India
🔷 Under Biopharma SHAKTI, capacity building of over 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites across India

Together, we are shaping a robust, world-class clinical research ecosystem!

Delighted to congratulate Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former Secretary, DHR and former DG, ICMR, on being elected Fellow of The Royal Society !!

A proud and historic milestone - she is only the second Indian woman scientist to receive this prestigious honour in its 400+ year history.

📣 Publication Alert !!!!!!

Heart failure remains one of the leading causes of mortality in patients with Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), yet evidence on the role of Digoxin in this population has been limited.

The ICMR-funded multicenter randomized placebo-controlled trial published in JAMA evaluated the efficacy and safety of Digoxin in patients with symptomatic RHD across 12 tertiary care hospitals in India.

▶️ The study found that digoxin reduced the composite risk of all-cause death or new-onset/worsening heart failure, with a low incidence of toxicity.

Key highlights:
🔸 Multicenter RCT across India
🔸 1,759 participants enrolled
🔸 Reduced composite HF outcomes with digoxin
🔸 Minimal toxicity observed

This study provides important evidence to improve management strategies for symptomatic RHD, a continuing public health challenge in many low- and middle-income countries.

Read the Study here:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2848973

JAMA