Guwahati: The Indian Institute of Public Health Shillong (IIPHS) and the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to harness space technology and geospatial intelligence for strengthening public health research and planning in the Northeast.
The MoU was signed at the IIPHS campus in Dhankheti, Shillong, by NESAC Director Dr. S.P. Aggarwal and IIPHS Director Dr. Sandra Albert in the presence of faculty members and officials from both institutions.
The collaboration aims to integrate public health data with satellite-derived environmental and climatic information to develop advanced geostatistical models for disease surveillance and public health planning.
Under the partnership, researchers will work on mapping disease-risk areas, identifying emerging health hotspots, predicting potential outbreaks, and assessing the impact of climate change on human health.
The initiative is also expected to strengthen early warning systems and support evidence-based interventions, particularly in remote and difficult-to-access hilly regions of Meghalaya and the wider Northeast.
Officials said the collaboration would advance research based on the One Health approach, which recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
Besides improving disease prevention and control, the partnership will focus on capacity building, climate-informed public health planning, better resource allocation, and enhancing the resilience of health systems in the region.
The institutions said the initiative would contribute to improved public health preparedness and better health outcomes for communities across Meghalaya and the Northeast.