The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare in an online conference released the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) and proudly said that this day will be marked as a breakthrough in the history of disease surveillance. Dr. Vardhan asserted his excitement at the wondrous, futuristic, and apt fusion of healthcare and technology as he described the features of the disease surveillance program. He said that India has started on a new path in its public health trajectory and is the first country in the world to take on such a pioneering disease surveillance system.
Labeling this as the largest online surveillance platform in the world, Dr. Vardhan affirmed that it is synced with the National Digital Health Mission and completely in tune with the other digital information systems prevalent in India.
Data entries and management for India’s disease surveillance program will be enclosed by the latest version of IHIP. IHIP will also keep a record of 33 diseases now as compared to 18 diseases earlier as well as guarantee near-real-time data in the digital mode. IHIP will function only digitally having discarding off any form of paperwork.
Further in the conference, Dr. Vardhan explained that IHIP with its refined automated data will aid in a big way for aggregation, real-time data collection, and further survey of data that will facilitate and permit policy-making based on evidence. The health minister further explained that IHIP will lay out a health information-based system integrated for cased-based, real-time information, analytics, and advanced visualization capability.
“It will provide analyzed reports on mobile or other electronic devices. In addition, outbreak investigation activities can be initiated and monitored electronically. It can easily be integrated with other ongoing surveillance program while having the feature of addition of special surveillance modules,” said Dr. Vardhan.
Taking into mind the pandemic scenario, the frontline healthcare workers and medical staff have given a tremendous effort into giving IHIP the shape and the platform. Harsh Vardhan applauded these grassroots for their commitment and their hard work that now allows India to detect the earliest signs of disease spread in any corner of the country from the smallest of villages to cities that will massively help in nipping the bud of any possible outbreak or epidemic.
Dr. Roderico Ofrin, the WHO Representative of India stated that this day is not just a historic day for India but global public health as this refined health program is another step towards the ‘One Health’ approach.
 was launched by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, on Monday in an online conference.){kind=link}