Dr NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada, will set up an AI‑based Disease Modelling and Decision Centre (DMDC) to strengthen disease forecasting, prevention, and response systems for public health planning. The centre will be developed with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and in collaboration with the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, with an estimated cost of ₹5.73 crore in the first year and about ₹3.7 crore annually thereafter.
The DMDC will leverage AI and data‑driven models to improve outbreak prediction, transmission dynamics, and resource‑allocation decisions for communicable and non‑communicable diseases. It will integrate epidemiological, clinical, and surveillance data sources to support state and district‑level health authorities in evidence‑based decision‑making.
The university’s Governing Council has also approved a wider three‑year plan to boost research and infrastructure. Around 3,000 students will receive augmented research scholarships of ₹30,000 annually, up from ₹10,000 for 500 students earlier. Faculty research support will expand to 200 faculty members, with grants rising from ₹2 lakh to ₹2–5 lakh, now including Ayush disciplines alongside Allopathy and Dental sciences.
Additional measures include ₹10 lakh per year for each government medical college to strengthen sports and physical‑well‑being initiatives, and a 24/7 e‑resource platform under the NTR Med‑Net consortium providing access to journals, videos, and digital research materials at a cost of ₹3 crore.
NTR Health University to Launch AI‑Based Disease Modelling and Decision Centre (DMDC)
