File Photo: Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India. | Photo Credit: Kamal Narang

Serum Institute of India will be setting up Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Infectious Diseases and Pandemic Preparedness in the Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad.

The CoE is being set up for providing the community with a centralised location for information, resources, and support during times of public health emergencies. It will be staffed by experienced healthcare professionals and equipped with state-of-the-art technology and resources.

While the discussion for the proposed CoE was initiated at the meeting of Telangana Industries Minister KT Rama Rao’s meeting with Adar C. Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India during the World Economic Forum in Davos in May 2022, the announcement of the center was made after Rama Rao’s virtual meeting with Adar Poonawalla on Sunday. 

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“The Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla Centre of Excellence in Infectious Diseases and Pandemic Preparedness will offer a variety of services, including public health education and outreach monitoring and tracking of infectious diseases, coordination of response efforts with local healthcare providers, and provision of information and support for individuals and families affected by epidemic,’‘ said Adar C. Poonawalla.

The Centre will serve as a hub for public health education, outreach, and response efforts during outbreaks of infectious diseases. It will provide real-time information and updates on current epidemics, as well as offer resources and support for those who have been affected.

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The Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH-H) is one of five institutions established by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) to strengthen health systems for better planning and performance and also align multi-sectoral policies and programmes to public health objectives. 

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Serum Institute of India is now the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by a number of doses produced and sold globally (more than 1.5 billion doses), which includes Polio vaccine, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hib, BCG, r-Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, as well as Pneumococcal and Covid-19 vaccines. 

Published on February 19, 2023