Panaji: The Goa government on Tuesday launched a twenty-year-long Longitudinal Cohort Study, which will help diagnose diseases in advance.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, in the presence of officials from the University of Oxford and Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, launched the study at Mantralaya on Tuesday.
Talking to reporters after the launch, the chief minister said that the Longitudinal Cohort Study is a historic decision that will greatly benefit Goans.
He stated that during the study, blood samples from more than one lakh people would be collected. Sawant added that the diagnostic reports will help identify the early onset of various diseases, including chronic and non-communicable diseases.
“Chronic illnesses will be diagnosed in advance. This will also help doctors advise patients on how to prevent them,” he said.
Sawant further mentioned that the study, conducted over the next twenty years, will also benefit future generations.
A senior government official described the study as a groundbreaking health initiative aimed at tackling non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the state.
“This longitudinal cohort study will assess the risk and epidemiology of NCDs, providing valuable insights into the risk factors and disease patterns in Goa,” he said.
The official explained that the study is a collaborative effort between the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) Goa, the Center for Cancer Epidemiology Tata Memorial Centre-Mumbai, and the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford.
He noted that the study is expected to inform policy decisions and interventions to address the growing health concerns related to NCDs in Goa.
“With this initiative, Goa is taking a proactive step towards improving the health and well-being of its citizens,” he added.
