India Health Fund to boost research on TB, malaria
The India Health Fund (IHF) launched by Tata Trusts in collaboration with Global Fund in August 2016 has come forward to financially support innovations and technologies designed to combat tuberculosis (TB) and malaria.
The initiative aims to support new products and strategies that impact entire lifecycle of malaria and TB, from prevention to post-cure recovery. It has recently invited project proposals.
Key Facts
TB and malaria pose long-standing health challenges for India. These two diseases account for over 4.23 lakh deaths and around 15 million lab-confirmed cases every year. The IHF initiative will support individuals and organisations with already germinated innovative strategies, services, products, such that they become sustainable and scalable solutions in addressing TB and malaria.
The initiative is not a fellowship programme to do research from scratch. It is long-term exercise aligned with country’s goal of eliminating TB by 2025 and malaria by 2030. It will promote innovative solutions such that they are widely accessible and are affordable
The four areas of research under it are
- Use of technology and data science to strengthen surveillance of TB and malaria, inform early warning systems and improve early detection and prompt treatment.
- Promote robust molecular diagnostic facilities feasible for primary healthcare in low-resource settings;
- Promote innovations on effective communication strategies that will prevent transmission of malaria and TB and enable people to protect themselves from diseases.
- Research on innovative approaches to vector surveillance.
Month: Current Affairs - February, 2018