New ! Report of Webinar on Ebola-July 13,2026

Report on the Inaugural Webinar of the IAPSM West Bengal Chapter Webinar Series – 2026

The Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine (IAPSM), West Bengal Chapter, in collaboration with the National IAPSM, successfully launched its Webinar Series–2026 with the inaugural national webinar, “Ebola at the Crossroads: Emerging Risks, Hard-Won Lessons and Future Readiness,” on 13 July 2026. More than an academic event, the webinar represented the successful transformation of a vision into reality and marked a defining milestone in the Chapter’s continuing professional development initiatives.

The concept emerged during the first Executive Committee meeting, where members resolved to establish a structured webinar series focusing on contemporary and regionally relevant public health issues. With the generous support of the National IAPSM in providing its webinar platform, the Chapter invited Expressions of Interest from members and unanimously selected Ebola Virus Disease as the theme for the inaugural session because of its continuing global relevance and enduring lessons for pandemic preparedness.

A dedicated Core Organizing Group comprising Prof. Aditi Aikat, Dr. Pritam Roy and Dr. Amitabha Sarkar with support from Webinar Subcommittee meticulously planned every aspect of the programme. The webinar was privileged to host Dr. Pavana Murthy, Epidemiologist, Surveillance and Alert Team, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), as the distinguished keynote expert. Dr. Amitabha Sarkar, Associate Professor of Community Medicine and former WHO Epidemiologist who served in Sierra Leone during the largest Ebola outbreak in history, delivered the second expert lecture, while Dr. PritamRoy, State NTD Coordinator,WHOskillfully moderated the proceedings.

Several planning meetings between webinar subcommittee and core group membersrefined the technical workflow, participant management strategy and programme sequence. From mandatory complimentary registration and pre-webinar technical checks to precise time management, waiting-room protocols, moderated interaction and post-event certification, every operational detail was carefully designed to ensure a seamless professional experience. These collective efforts resulted in over 200 registrations from public health professionals, academicians, researchers, postgraduate students and policymakers  across India—an encouraging beginning for this flagship academic initiative.

The scientific deliberations fully justified the expectations.

Prof. Dr. Aditi Aikat welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of understanding the evolving epidemiology of Ebola Virus Disease and strengthening preparedness for future public health emergencies.

 Dr. Pavana Murthy presented an authoritative overview of the current Bundibugyo virus outbreak, evolving epidemiology, risk assessment, progress of the outbreak current threat to India and other SEARO countries, and response strategies.

Dr. Amitabha Sarkar then shared his field experiences from Sierra Leone, illustrating how surveillance, rapid response systems, data-driven decision-making, innovation and community trust were instrumental in interrupting Ebola transmission under extraordinarily challenging circumstances and hard won lessons for future pandemics.

Interactive discussions following each lecture further enriched the learning experience.

The webinar commenced and concluded exactly on schedule without any spillover, reflecting exemplary planning, teamwork and execution. Participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many describing it as one of the best-organized academic webinars they had attended. The inaugural webinar not only achieved its scientific objectives but also established a strong benchmark for the future Webinar Series of the IAPSM West Bengal Chapter.

The Executive Committee places on record its sincere gratitude to the National IAPSM for its guidance and collaboration, and extends heartfelt appreciation to the distinguished speakers, moderator, organizing committee, technical team and all participants whose commitment transformed the Chapter’s first webinar into a memorable success. Building upon this encouraging beginning, the IAPSM West Bengal Chapter looks forward to many more impactful academic interactions that will continue to strengthen public health practice, education and leadership.

Long Live IAPSM!