ITANAGAR, Apr 7: Joining the global celebration of World Health Day 2026 themed ‘Together for Health. Stand with Science’, Arunachal Pradesh observed the Day in its own “immaculate” way through a historic and record-fetching public health education event – IAPSM (Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine) quiz, coordinated and conducted by the Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), Naharlagun, focusing on key aspects of evidence, collaboration and shared responsibility.
The World Health Organization has placed the One Health approach at the heart of this year's observance, recognizing that the health of people, animals, plants and the planet are inseparably linked, and that science-driven partnerships are the only sustainable path forward.
Reflecting that spirit on the ground, Dr Amrita Sarkar, Associate Professor of Community Medicine at TRIHMS, Naharlagun, and Regional Nodal Officer for the IAPSM World Health Day Quiz 2026, successfully coordinated this year’s quiz initiative across seven Northeastern states, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. Under her coordination, 71 teams participated across the seven states, with Arunachal Pradesh contributing 17 teams, reflecting the State’s growing engagement with public health education at the undergraduate level. The quiz was conducted at TRIHMS under the guidance of College Nodal Officer Dr Boro, and under the aegis of Director-cum-Dean Dr N Bezbaruah.
What makes this year’s quiz particularly historic is the scale at which it was conducted nationally. The Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM) has been awarded a certificate by the Asia Book of Records for setting a record for the maximum number of medical colleges participating simultaneously in a national level quiz.
On March 25 this year, a total of 6,036 medical students across 503 medical colleges of India, organized into teams, took part in a synchronized quiz promoting public health awareness on account of World Health Day. This remarkable achievement places the IAPSM quiz among the most significant public health education events ever organized in the country, and Arunachal Pradesh's participation stands as a meaningful part of that national story.
For Dr Sarkar, the initiative carries a meaning that goes beyond academic competition. In the Northeast, she notes, One Health is not an abstract concept but a daily reality. The forests, wildlife and human communities of this region are deeply interconnected, and when young medical students are taught to see health through this wider lens, they are being prepared for the ground realities they will face as future doctors and public health professionals.
This effort builds on Dr Sarkar’s sustained engagement with One Health in the region. Last November, she served as Regional Nodal Officer for a month-long Northeast One Health activity, and was subsequently felicitated for her contributions at the IAPSM National Conference 2026 held at NAMO Medical College, Silvassa.
As a new generation of doctors and students from Arunachal learns to see health through this wider lens, the message rising from these hills is clear. Our health is one, and it is strongest when science and society stand together.