New Delhi, April 3 -- The Union ministry of health and family welfare is considering using its polio surveillance network to screen for other new and emerging diseases, especially infections, and to catch potential outbreaks early, people familiar with the matter said.
The health ministry tasked the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, an autonomous organisation, to conduct a feasibility study for the idea.
"We were asked to evaluate if it was possible to utilise our robust polio surveillance network that is active across the country to monitor other diseases especially with the threat of new and emerging diseases looming large. They would likely look at monitoring transmission of infectious diseases," said Dr Dheeraj Shah, di...