THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) has started a six-day workshop-cum-course on the basic mechanisms of genes and diseases. Dr Shekhar C Mande, former director general, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India, inaugurated the programme titled ‘Immuno-India 2023’.
Referring to airborne infections like tuberculosis (TB), Dr Mande said as part of ‘TB Mukt Bharat’ initiative, the government has set 2030 as deadline for making the country TB-free.
“The Ministry of Health and Welfare has started large number of vaccine trials, besides awareness campaigns informing the public that TB can be cured. The government has adopted Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) programme very aggressively and medicines are given to TB patients only through DOT,” said Dr Mande, who is also the Distinguished Professor at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
RGCB director Chandrabhas Narayana presided over the opening session of the programme, organised in association with International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS), an umbrella of regional and national societies of immunology, Indian Immunology Society (IIS) and Federation of Immunological Societies of Asia-Oceania (FIMSA).