Centre for Chronic Disease Control Marks 25 Years of Advancing Public Health with Scientific Symposium in New Delhi

The Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC) marked its 25th anniversary with a two-day Scientific Symposium held on September 18-19, 2025, at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. The event brought together over 400 leading public health experts, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners from India and around the globe to discuss on advancing chronic disease prevention and care.

Rajiv Bahl Felicitation

The Scientific Symposium highlighted CCDC’s role in shaping India’s response to major Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and environmental health. The event deliberated on evidence-based research which can be translated into policy and practice through a combination of keynote addresses, scientific sessions, panel discussions, fireside chats, poster walks, and exhibition areas.

Release of Coffee Table Book

Opening the event, Prof. D Prabhakaran, Executive Director, CCDC, traced the institution’s journey since its inception, noting, “What began as a vision to bridge the gap between clinical care and public health research has grown into a collaborative effort that has changed how India and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) approach chronic diseases. Our work has only just begun; the next 25 years will be even more critical as we move towards a healthier, more equitable India.”

Notable speakers included Prof. K Srinath Reddy, Founder Director, CCDC; Ex-Head, Dept. of Cardiology, AIIMS, New Delhi; Dr Rajiv Bahl, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Secretary, GoI – Dept. of Health Research; Prof. Nikhil Tandon, Prof. and Head, Dept. of Endocrinology & Metabolism, AIIMS, New Delhi; Prof. Venkat Narayan, Executive Director, Emory Global Diabetes Research Centre, Emory University; and Prof. Neil Poulter from Imperial College, London, among others.

The inaugural keynote address was delivered by Prof. K Srinath Reddy, who said, “Public health must always remain rooted in the service of people and society. Institutions like CCDC show how collaborative, multidisciplinary action can advance Universal Health Coverage and build systems that endure. The principles that have guided this journey must now be carried forward to strengthen healthcare for future generations.”

Over two days, discussions spanned urgent and emerging issues, including digital health for Universal Health Coverage, reimagining health systems for NCD care, food systems and nutrition, cancer research in India, women’s health, mental health and a session on Exposomics featuring the environmental determinants of chronic conditions.

In a plenary talk delivered by Dr Rajiv Bahl, Director General, ICMR, Secretary, GoI – Dept. of Health Research, focused on the role of evidence and implementation science in transforming healthcare systems in India. He said, “While not every policy can be entirely evidence-based, ensuring that health systems are evidence-informed is essential. India is building mechanisms – from evidence synthesis and national guidelines to implementation research – that can bridge the gap between good ideas and real-world impact. The real challenge has been effective implementation, and it is here that research must guide us in creating sustainable change.”

As the curtains drew on the two-day event, a critical session featuring leading scientists and thought leaders chaired by Prof. VijayRaghavan, Prof. N.K. Arora and featuring, Prof. Pratima Murthy, Prof. Anurag Agrawal, Dr. Atul Kotwal , Dr. Krishna Reddy and Dr. Santosh Mathew deliberated with younger CCDC researchers Dr. Aditi Roy and Dr. Nikhil S.V on envisioning CCDC’s next 25 years’ efforts towards strengthening health platforms for Viksit Bharat. Collaborators and participants echoed a shared commitment to together scaling innovation, building capacity, and driving policies that address the growing burden of chronic diseases in India and LMICs.

About CCDC

The Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC) is leading efforts to transform public health and empower public health professionals to combat the growing challenge of chronic diseases across India and low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Established in 2000 as a non-profit scientific organisation, this Delhi-based organisation has been working alongside the Government of India (GoI) to reduce the burden of chronic diseases in India.