Pune: Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, is organising the XIIth Joint National Conference of Indian Society for Malaria and other Communicable Diseases (ISMOCD) and Indian Association of Epidemiologists (IAE) from September 1 to 3.

The conference will be inaugurated by Air Marshal Pawan Kapoor, VSM and Bar, Director General Medical Services (Air Force). The keynote address will be delivered by Prof Viroj Vivanitkit from University of Thailand, Chulalonkorn. The theme of the conference is ‘Innovate, Empower & Share - Combat Communicable Diseases’.

According to Air Commodore Renuka Kunte, Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine, AFMC, ISMOCD is the apex body at the national level, which aims at advancing knowledge regarding the cause, prevalence, epidemiology, prevention and treatment of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases and other communicable diseases in the country. It provides expert advice to the government on integrating all scientific and field investigations and research towards finding practical solutions to control vector-borne diseases.

Eminent speakers, who will share their experience, include Dr Henk Bekedam, WHO representative to India, Dr AC Dhariwal, Director NCDC & President ISMOCD, Dr Anil Kumar, President IAE & DDG Leprosy, Govt of India, Dr PK Sen, Director NVBDCP, and Dr DT Mourya, Director, NIV Pune. Over 400 delegates from all over the country are expected to attend the proceedings.