Research Staff
- Rajendra Ku. Baharia, Scientist B & Officer In-Charge
- Pratiksha Desai, Senior, Technical Officer
- V.D. Parmar, Technician
The ICMR-NIMR Field Unit (FU) was established in Nadiad, district Kheda in March 1983 to demonstrate the feasibility of bioenvironmental control of malaria. Kheda district was selected because of prevailing epidemic situation and other operational as well as technical constraints faced by the programme. The project was launched in 7 villages of Nadiad taluka with the objective to demonstrate malaria control using bio-environmental methods without the use of insecticides and to develop a cost-effective model which could be adopted in other parts of the country. The main components of the strategy comprised of reduction of mosquito breeding sources, biological control using mosquito larvivorous fishes and other agents, community health education, community participation, improved case detection and treatment, environmental improvement and inter-sectoral coordination. The study area was gradually extended to cover the entire Nadiad and Kapadwanj talukas covering 7 lakh population by the year 1987. On the basis of the success of the Kheda project, the strategy was further tested through 12 more FU located in different eco-epidemiological zones in different parts of the country through mission mode. In order to disseminate the experience gained in the Kheda project, several transfer of technology workshops and training programmes for different category of health personnel viz., district malaria officers, PHC medical officers, different functionaries of the state health department, municipal corporations etc. were also organized.
All the research findings of the FU are intended to strengthen the intervention operations of the local health authorities by providing necessary scientific inputs. The FU also provides technical support to the state/national programme by imparting training programme to graduate and post graduate medical students of state medical colleges. Capacity building of state health person in term of both training 1. Medical entomology training to District/ Taluka Health Supervisors. 2. Malaria Microscopy training to Laboratory technician of all the districts of Gujarat. The research activities are carried out in close coordination with the Additional director (Health), Joint Director, NVBDCP, Gandhinagar, Chief district health officer, District Malaria officer and Municipal Corporation.
ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research Field Unit
Civil Hospital, Nadiad
Gujarat- 387001, India.
Phone: +91-268-252-1808
Email: nimr.nadiad[at]gmail.com