A two-day National Review Meeting of Metropolitan Surveillance Units (MSUs) was held in Nagpur from 6–7 January 2026 for 20 cities across the country under the theme “Proactive Surveillance, Protected Cities.” The meeting was organised with the objective of reviewing progress and further strengthening urban disease surveillance systems in Tier-I and Tier-II cities.

The meeting was attended by Shri Saurabh Jain, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), along with Dr. Ranjan Das, Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Participants included Municipal Commissioners from Hyderabad and Shimla, Additional Municipal Commissioners from Nagpur and Patna, Deputy Commissioner from Bhopal Municipal Corporation, senior officials from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, officials from NCDC, MSU Nodal Officers from States and Municipal Corporations, and other key stakeholders.

The deliberations focused on strengthening early warning systems, ensuring timely public health response, and enhancing preparedness in urban settings. Technical sessions included a presentation by the Nagpur MSU on investigation and response to an AES outbreak, sharing of best practices by operational MSUs, and a review of progress of priority MSUs.

A scientific session on “MSUs – A Strategic Investment in Urban Disease Surveillance” highlighted the role of MSUs in collaborative surveillance and multisectoral coordination. Experts from NCDC, the World Bank, PATH, AIIMS Nagpur, Municipal Corporations, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), the wildlife sector, Government Veterinary College, Nagpur, APHO Nagpur, and professional bodies including IMA and IAP participated in the discussions.

Participants were also apprised of the All-Hazard preparedness framework and were enabled to develop City Emergency Response Plans (All-Hazard Plans) to strengthen preparedness and coordinated response mechanisms for public health emergencies.

The meeting concluded with a consensus on the need to strengthen collaborative disease surveillance and public health response in urban areas, with the objective of making cities safe, resilient, and better prepared to address public health threats.

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HFW– National Review Meeting of MSUs/7^th January 2026/2