Public Health Research
Since Independence, India has witnessed a four fold decrease in death rates, doubling of the expectancy of life at birth, halving of the birth rate, and control of some communicable diseases. Despite these successes, the problems of yesteryears persist with the newer challenges of today like non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries that are increasing and resulting from processes of development (including globalization, urbanization, migration, and motorization), demographic and nutritional transitions, rapidly changing health problems, weak governance, and others. Though several health problems can be prevented and managed better, there are significant impediments / barriers for translating the available knowledge to public health action. Effective prevention and control requires a joint inter-sectoral and interlinked response from health along with related sectors. In the absence of strong guidelines, data/evidence and information systems, skilled workforce, programme implementation mechanisms, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation and coordination mechanisms, the responses become disjointed and piecemeal.
The Centre for Public Health will have a very strong focus on multidimensional and interdisciplinary research in the areas of mental, neurological, substance-use disorders, injuries and NCDs to support evidence based policy and programme development. The research endeavours will focus on: (1) Evidence generation (2) Translational research (3) Health information systems (4) Surveillance systems (5) Disease specific registries (6) Monitoring and evaluation.
Both community and setting based research activities will be undertaken focusing on epidemiological and public health aspects of: Mental, Neurological, and Substance use disorders, Injuries including road traffic injuries, suicides and burns, and Non-communicable diseases.