HYDERABAD: Serum Institute of India (SII) has announced the establishment of the Dr Cyrus Poonawalla Centre of Excellence in Infectious Diseases and Pandemic Preparedness at Hyderabad. This centre will be located at Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad.
The CoE will be 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.
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.
Responding to the announcement, IT Minister KT Rama Rao said: “The opening of this CoE marks a significant step forward in our efforts to protect the health and well-being of our community. By centralising our resources and expertise, we can ensure a quick and effective response to any public health emergency.”
SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said, “The CoE 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, provision of information and support for individuals and families affected by epidemic.”
SII is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by 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.
Vaccines manufactured by SII are accredited by the World Health Organisation and are being used in around 170 countries across the globe in their national immunisation programmes, saving millions of lives throughout the world.