Nadda to lay foundation stone for ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine in Keylong on 11 July

Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda will lay the foundation stone for the ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research at Keylong in Lahaul & Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, on 11 July 2026.

The centre is being established by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. It will upgrade ICMR’s existing field station at Keylong into a multidisciplinary centre for research, innovation and capacity building focused on high-altitude and climate-sensitive regions in India.

According to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the Himalayan ecosystem presents public health challenges including high altitude, climatic conditions, difficult terrain and climate variability that influence disease patterns, healthcare access and emergency response. The centre will generate scientific evidence and solutions across areas including high-altitude physiology and acclimatisation, mountain medicine, climate-sensitive and emerging diseases, infectious and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, nutrition, mental health, environmental and occupational health, and disaster medicine. It will also integrate digital health platforms, telemedicine, drone-enabled healthcare logistics and real-time public health surveillance to support healthcare delivery in remote areas.

Located in Lahaul & Spiti, the centre will provide year-round access to high-altitude and tribal populations in a border region, enabling long-term cohort studies and field research on environmental determinants of health. It is expected to support national priorities in tribal health, disaster preparedness and digital health innovation, while contributing to research on high-altitude medicine. The centre will collaborate with the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Himachal Pradesh Government, and academic and research institutions in India and abroad to support translational research and policy.

According to the ministry, the initiative supports the Government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision in health research and its efforts towards climate-resilient and inclusive health systems.

The foundation stone ceremony on 11 July will include a traditional Bhumi Pujan and groundbreaking ceremony, plantation of native Himalayan saplings under the Green ICMR Campus Initiative, a scientific exhibition, the launch of the centre’s website and an introductory video, and the release of a commemorative postal special cover.

The event will be attended by Members of Parliament and the Legislative Assembly from the region, the Defence Secretary, the Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh, senior officials from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, ICMR, the Armed Forces and partner institutions, along with scientists, public representatives and members of the local community.