New Delhi, December 22: A two-day Chintan Shivir (brainstorming session) on “Strengthening Interministerial and Intersectoral Convergence for Influenza Preparedness and Response” began on Monday here with Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda gracing the inaugural event virtually.
Being organised by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) India, the meet aims to provide a structured platform for deliberations among key stakeholders to strengthen preparedness and response mechanisms ahead of the upcoming influenza season in the country.
Addressing the inaugural session, Union Minister Nadda said, “The Chintan Shivir offers an important opportunity for all stakeholders to deliberate on various dimensions of preparedness for resilience against influenza. He emphasized that it is vital to ensure preparedness and response activities, including surge capacities, are well aligned for the forthcoming influenza season.”
The Union Health Minister further underlined the importance of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), stressing that coordinated and synergistic efforts by the Centre and States are essential to ensure robust and collaborative surveillance systems across India.
The Chintan Shivir witnessed participation from around 110 representatives from a wide range of ministries, departments and institutions, reflecting strong multisectoral engagement.
Participants included officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), National Institute of Virology (NIV), partner organisations, and States and Union Territories.
While officials from as many as 11 States participated in person, others joined virtually, enabling cross-learning through the sharing of best practices and experiences.
A key outcome of the Chintan Shivir is the advancement of a more structured and actionable approach to preparedness review by States, UTs and institutions. This includes the development of a practical preparedness checklist to support readiness assessments, identify gaps and guide time-bound follow-up actions. The discussions reinforced the need for timely information sharing, clarity of roles and responsibilities, and coordinated action across departments.
