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India has the highest burden of both tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB based on estimates reported in Global TB Report. Although the available data suggest that the TB epidemic may be on the decline, the absolute number of new cases is still the highest. In the recent times when the world is tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to ensure that essential health services and operations are continued to protect the lives of people with TB and other diseases or health conditions. Therefore, health services, including Revised National TB Control Program (RNTCP) and other relevant stakeholders, need to be actively engaged in ensuring an effective and rapid response to COVID-19 while ensuring that TB services are maintained. 

The International Institute for Human Development and the  Indian Association of Respiratory Care is organising a webinar to understand on how to ensure continuity of TB care during COVID 19 crisis. The webinar will cover three specific issues during the deliberation, 

1) How national health program on TB control is ensuring service delivery, especially access to medicines? 

2) How digital technology can enhance treatment adherence by TB patients? 

3) Considering the magnitude of the COVID19 impact, can India still be able to eliminate TB by 2025?

We expect several hundred people from emerging markets to participate, including policymakers, leading companies, entrepreneurs, NGOs, academic institutions, scientists/researchers, and other stakeholders. 

Despite significant progress made on the health metrics in the last 73 years of Independence, India’s health system is under pressure because of COVID19. The debate focussed on three specific issues, first, whether India is going to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 with the new normal, second, Can “vocal for local” vision alter India’s healthcare landscape, and third, how the economies of healthcare will change in the post-COVID19 world.

This national-level debate of young and experienced brain drawn from the health policy, technology, and business flagged some of the key aspects ranging from policy, implementation, sustainability, data, and evidence-based solutions for India’s health system challenges.  Dr. R.K Srivastava said, “India needs a full-blown digital health revolution before 2025. The National Digital Health Mission should adopt a bottom-up approach by integrating digital health in primary care, which solves the shortage of doctor, drugs, diagnosis, and timely referral to achieve targets of SDGs by building and trusting good partners in this sector”.

Dr. Damodar Bachani, Former Deputy Director-General, MoHFW, Government of India, New Delhi expressed apprehension about India achieving SDGs by 2030, however, highlighted the need for more concerted implementation efforts with a multisectoral approach to achieve SDGs. He appreciated Government of India's efforts in addressing the COVID19 pandemic.

“The existing IT act of 2000 has a very narrow scope of data protection - especially health care data. The new Data Protection Bill of 2019 has not yet been enacted and ensuring this legislation is enacted at the earliest balancing the interest of the consumer with industry is critical to give momentum to the data analytics and informatics sector of healthcare”, Mukul Bagga, Managing Director, Medicom Pharmaceutical Pvt Ltd, India.

“Need of Sustainable Multisector Accessible Affordable Reimbursable Tailored (SMAART) solutions that are data-driven, evidence-based contextually and culturally relevant and can guide informed decision making in policy implementation”, Dr. Ashish Joshi, Senior Associate Dean Academic and Student Affairs, City University of New York.

Dr. Raghu Basibonia, Director - Diagnostic (South Asia), PerkinElmer said, “Self-reliance in medical device manufacturing is possible in the long run when the entire ecosystem is developed hand in hand”.

“India will now have to move forward in the new policy era with a new framework and mindset. We have to work on three-agenda points, first nurturing research and innovations; second, encouraging local with a global approach in business, and third producing right skill-sets while bringing synergies between social, economic, and environment”, said Dr. Ruchi Sogarwal, Founder and CEO, International Institute for Human Development, India.

>300 people from the Government, health practitioners, students/young working professionals, and civil society organizations participated in the debate across pan India.