The Department of Community Medicine, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research centre, Kattankulathur hosted a Conference on “Challenges in the Management of Environmental Diseases” in collaboration with School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia and National Journal of Research in Community Medicine on 16th & 17th March 2018. The conference focused on the Global burden, Epidemiology, changing trends over time & current status of Environmental Diseases which are affected by the changing Environment.

Dr. N. Chandraprabha, Director, Medical and Health Sciences, SRMIST welcomed the dignitaries and delegates for the conference. She narrated the achievements and progress of the MoU between SRMIST and UNSW. She explained the need to focus on the increasing environmental diseases in the community.

Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, hon’ble President, SRMIST delivered the presidential address in the forum and inaugurated the conference. He discussed on the need for more such conferences and research work to be carried out to control the environmental diseases.

Dr. R. Sridhar, Superintendent, Govt Hospital of Thoracic Medicine, in his chief guest address, said that Indians are more vulnerable to environmental diseases, especially TB, COPD and asthma by the increasing population density and the poor living conditions. Professor Raina MacIntyre, an expert in the field of Environmental Diseases represented UNSW, Australia, enlightened the audience on the research and academic activities through the MoU and the possibility of integrated research in this field. Dr. Muzaffar Ahmed, NMDA, former MCI member, emphasized the importance of disaster management curriculum. Dr. Prabhakar, Director NJRCM, introduced about the journal.

More than 200 delegates from 32 medical colleges in South India attended this two day event and about 95 research papers were presented on the sidelines of the conference. Also, a short film competition on Prevention of Environmental Diseases was conducted for the undergraduate students judged by director Ponvannan. Dr.M.Logaraj, Organising Secretary, gave the vote of thanks.