CHANDIGARH, INDIA | OCTOBER 2, 2026-"India depends on our own data for public health action. When data are not available decisions still have to be made with limitations and considering the available resources" said Dr. V K Paul, Former member NITI Aayog at the 7th Annual National Conference of the Epidemiology Foundation of India (EFICON 2026) commenced at the Law Auditorium, Panjab University, Chandigarh. The conference is centred on the theme “Data to Decisions for Responsive and Resilient Health Systems” and focuses on strengthening the link between health data, scientific evidence, and informed public health action. The three-day conference is being jointly hosted by the Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh, and Panjab University.

On the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Chandigarh, the conference was formally inaugurated and was presided over by Prof.Dr.Vikas Bhatia (Vice Chancellor, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay University of Health Sciences), Dr. Vinod K Paul (Former Member, NITI Aayog), Dr. Sanjiv Kumar (Former ED NHSRC), Maj Gen (Prof) Atul Kotwal (ICMR HQ), Dr. Binod Kumar Patro (Director,NIHFW), Dr. Arun K. Aggarwal, Organising Chairperson and Head, Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh, Dr. Shankar Prinja (Co-Organsing Secretary) and Dr. Sonu Goel, Organising Secretary, EFICON 2026

The three-day conference is being attended by more than 700 delegates and experts from across India, including epidemiologists, public health professionals, clinicians, researchers, academicians, policymakers, programme managers, and students. The conference has brought together more than 150 eminent national experts and speakers from leading institutions and organisations, including AIIMS, ICMR, NITI Aayog, WHO, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, State Health Departments, medical colleges, research institutions, and public health organisations. EFICON 2026 is addressing a broad spectrum of contemporary public health priorities, including data-driven leadership, implementation research, climate change and air pollution, nutritional surveillance, non-communicable diseases and health equity, communicable disease surveillance, health technology assessment, digital health, HIV prevention and PrEP, mental health, and evidence-informed health-system strengthening, through parallel scientific sessions, oral presentations, and poster presentations at Panjab University.

Day 1 programme also featured active participation across several key thematic sessions addressing epidemiological evidence on air pollution and climate change, implementation research and evidence-to-practice, nutritional surveillance and policy-making, equity in non-communicable disease policies, and laboratory-based data for strengthening communicable disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness. The conference further facilitated national and international dialogue on HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), with experts examining delivery models and pathways for scaling PrEP within India’s National HIV Programme. Discussions also focused on translating laboratory evidence and implementation research into effective public health action, leading to broader deliberations on the use of epidemiological evidence for policy development, programme implementation, and health-system decision-making.

The scientific programme will continue till 4 October 2026, with deliberations on data-driven public health programmes, field epidemiology, primary healthcare, immunisation, implementation research, AI and digital health, One Health, tobacco control, mental health, environmental epidemiology, viral hepatitis, and alcohol-related diseases. The programme will also feature discussions on evidence-to-policy action, digital interventions in medical education, capacity building for Viksit Bharat 2047, and Standard Treatment Workflows (STWs), alongside oral and poster presentations.