From Evidence to Impact KIMS Community Medicine at EFICON 2026

EFICON 2026 brought together the vibrant public health community of India at PGIMER, Chandigarh, from 1–4 October 2026, creating a dynamic national platform for scientific exchange, collaboration and evidence-driven public health action. With more than 700 delegates and experts participating from across the country, including over 150 eminent national experts and speakers, the conference reflected the growing strength and diversity of epidemiological and public health research in India.

A major highlight for the Department of Community Medicine, KIMS was the recognition of Prof. (Dr.) Sonali Kar with the Senior Scientist Award 2026 for the best paper presented at the 7^th Annual National Conference of the Epidemiology Foundation of India (EFICON 2026). This achievement marks a proud moment for the department and recognizes its commitment to impactful public health research.

During the main conference, 2–4 October 2026, Prof. (Dr.) Sonali Kar also contributed to the scientific programme through her oral presentation, “From Campaign Awareness to Vaccine Uptake: Application of an Adapted PEARL Inquiry Matrix Assessing HPV Vaccination Acceptance among Adolescent Girls.”

The department’s academic engagement also included the EFICON 2026 Pre-Conference Workshop on 1^st  October 2026 at PGIMER, Chandigarh. Dr. Angana Ray, Senior Resident, participated in “Instrument Development and Validation: Building Scales for Socio-Behavioural and Public Health Research — From Defining a Construct to Generating Items to Testing Psychometric Properties.” Dr. Shalem Raja Akula, 1^st Year Postgraduate, participated in “Searching for Evidence, Shaping Decisions: Literature Search for Health Research and Scientific Writing — From a Focused Question to a Reproducible, Citation-Ready Review.” Their participation reflected the department’s emphasis on continuous learning and strengthening research methodology and scientific writing skills.

Dr. Angana Ray, Senior Resident, presented a poster titled “From Shops to Kitchen Pots: Mapping the Millets Adoption Pathway across Urban Slum Households of Bhubaneswar.” Dr. Shalem Raja Akula, 1^st Year Postgraduate, delivered an oral presentation on “Behavioural Determinants of Electric Vehicle Adoption for Environmental Sustainability: A COM-B Model-Based Study among University Users and Non-users in Bhubaneswar.” Neha Kar, Intern, KIMS, delivered an oral presentation titled “Invisible Parasites, Visible Consequences: Mapping Hygiene Failures and Helminth Burden in Urban Street Food Ecosystems in Bhubaneswar.”

The participation and recognition of faculty, residents, postgraduates and undergraduate learners on a national scientific platform highlighted the Department of Community Medicine, KIMS as an academic environment where mentorship, research and public health practice converge. From vaccination and nutrition to behavioural science, environmental sustainability and infectious disease epidemiology, the department’s contributions at EFICON 2026 reflected the breadth and contemporary relevance of Community Medicine.