Dr Khanna’s dengue detection kit can detect fever in 15 mins of mosquito bite.
Pune: Increasing number of dengue cases in the country was a cause of worry for government machinery, but now, the key to impeding the cases seems to be visible with the help of technology. Dr Navin Khanna from International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology has innovated a lost cost, real-time dengue detection kit called ‘Dengue Day 1’ which will detect dengue fever within 15 minutes after a patient is bitten by Aedes Aegypti: the dengue mosquito.
Khanna was felicitated with the seventh Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award (AIIMA) along with the cash prize of Rs 1 lakh by Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar in a function held here on Friday at Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHDA).
Congratulating and appreciating the innovative invention made by Dr Khanna, Javadekar emphasised that such innovation is the need of the hour and key to new India. He expressed that the government aims to create an environment to boost innovation by mentioning about several projects undertaken by MHRD in education such as Smart Hackathon, SWAYAM, building incubation and start-up cell centres at various education institutions among others. Speaking further, Javadekar said, “We lack in innovation and hence, it needs to be promoted on all levels. The invention is the power of India.”
Dr Khanna said, “Dengue Day 1 test kit can detect dengue fever within 15 minutes from day 1. It can differentiate between primary and secondary dengue virus infections, which is critical for the dengue infected patients for clinical intervention. This unique kit can also detect the presence of the virus in the mosquito. The kit is now a market leader in India and it has captured more than 80 per cent market share, with all southern states in India purchasing the kits in bulk, under the government of India rate contract. More than 6 million kits were sold in 2016 alone. This test kit is now being exported to other countries too.”
The certificates were also presented to 18 innovators from various states, who are selected to be a part of NCSI. The innovations addressed issues on women’s safety, biodiversity, agriculture, mental health, women’s health and other critical social problems.
Also present were Raghunath Mashelkar, eminent scientist and President of PIC, Vijay Kelkar, renowned economist and Vice President of PIC, Jayant Umranikar, Chairman of International Longevity Centre, India (ILCI) and Prashant Girbane, Director of PIC.
Javadekar fetes Khanna
Dr Khanna was felicitated with the seventh Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award along with the cash prize of Rs 1 lakh by Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar
