Building People-centered Health Systems: Insights from GLC4HSR’s Workshop on Community Engagement

The Global Learning Collaborative for Health Systems Resilience organized a workshop “Towards People-Centered Healthcare: A Workshop on Community Engagement.” The half-day event was a collaborative effort by GLC4HSR, the University of Arizona's Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), and Henry Ford Health. The workshop featured a distinguished lineup of speakers who delved into the pivotal role of community engagement in fostering more resilient health systems. Through insightful discussions, they provided clarity on the concept of community engagement and its practical implementation in real-world scenarios. The exploration also extended to understanding diverse community perspectives, including those of special interest groups, self-help groups, community health volunteers, civil society organizations, and the media. The first session of the workshop brought out insights that included: The role of community engagement, trust, and understanding unique local needs in healthcare interventions The need to shift from just clinical care to a broader perspective on health, addressing emotional, psychological, and societal aspects Leveraging technology, like apps and online platforms, for training, data access, and service delivery while emphasizing adaptability and continuous learning Addressing funding instabilities, the importance of sustainable models, and the potential of leveraging cultural and social capital, especially during crises Need to advocate for team-based care models, integrating frontline workers, specialists, and communities, and recognizing the invaluable role of grassroots leaders and health workers Highlighting the need for culturally relevant practices, addressing misconceptions, and ensuring effective communication tailored to community nuances The insights from the second session included: Community empowerment, both from external players as well as community-managed programs, plays a very important role in engaging the communities Community engagement and communications need to be adaptive and accurate in the ever-changing post-COVID landscape The requirement to but a culture of communication with the patients for all health service providers, especially doctors A reminder that the healthcare providers are a part of the community and should not separate themselves to build trust and be able to empower the community Decentralization of care models can play an important role in helping nurture a culture of communication for community engagement The event saw a robust turnout, as over 125 participants actively engaged both in person and online.

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Dr. Sten Vermund appointed to the Board of ACCESS Health International

ACCESS Health International is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Sten Vermund to our Board. Dr. Vermund is a pediatrician and infectious disease epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health. He also serves as President of the Global Virus Network, is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, and is President-Elect of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. He works in resource-limited settings on maternal, infant, and child health, notably focused on HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, COVID-19, and parasitic diseases. Dr. Vermund's work in implementation science seeks to increase the coverage and quality of infectious and chronic disease services for children and families. His work on HIV-HPV interactions among women in Bronx methadone programs motivated a change in the 1993 CDC AIDS case surveillance definition and inspired cervical cancer screening programs launched within HIV/AIDS programs around the world. Dr. Vermund has already been actively involved with ACCESS Health International, serving as a member of the Technical Advisory Group for the Global Learning Collaborative for Health Systems Resilience, and we welcome his future valuable contributions.

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Dr. William Haseltine appointed Professor of Regenerative Medicine at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research

Chair of ACCESS Health International, Dr William Haseltine has appointed has been appointed Professor and Program Director of Regenerative Medicine in the Laboratory of Biomedical Sciences at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Dr. Haseltine was appointed by Feinstein Institute President and CEO, Dr. Kevin Tracey based on his pioneering past work in the field of Regenerative Medicine.

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Addressing global health and regulations at the USP Convention

Dr Krishna Reddy was invited to the South Asia Chapter Meeting of the US Pharmacopeia Convention held in New Delhi on November 15. The convention aimed to discuss the evolving regulatory landscape, building resilient API supply chains and access to affordable biosimilars.   Dr Reddy was invited for a fireside chat, representing the Board of Trustees of the USP. The discussion was led by Mr Matruprasad Priyadarshi, Senior Director of Regional Programs and Operations, USP South Asia. Appearing alongside Dr. Reddy were Dr Dennis E Doherty, President, USP Convention and Dr Richard J Gilfillan, Board member, USP Convention.   Dr Reddy spoke about the need for balance between self-reliance and globalization in the current age. He emphasized the importance of collaboration when facing threats and the need for financially sustainable models that do not compromise on the quality of care delivered. Dr Reddy argued that the time taken for innovations to reach the patients can be reduced with the cooperation of the regulators.

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ACCESS Health International signs SACH pledge for a sustainable future

ACCESS Health International has taken a step towards a sustainable and healthier future by signing the Sustainable Action for Climate and Health Initiative (SACH) pledge organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), PATH and Centre for Health Research and Innovation (CHRI). This initiative will bring together policymakers, urban bodies, the private sector, healthcare chains, development organizations, donors, philanthropies, community-based organizations, and innovators to promote cross-sectoral collaboration and improve climate and health outcomes.   Dr Uma Aysola, Director of Communications, Relations, and Partnerships represented ACCESS Health International at the event in New Delhi on November 17. Together, the signees of the pledge bring together their collective abilities to champion the climate and health agenda.   The pledge is a key component of the Sustainable Action for Climate and Health Initiative, designed to encourage private sector participation in raising awareness and committing resources to advance sustainable and healthy practices. This pledge will support and drive action by equipping private-sector corporations with resources and training to implement sustainable and health-focused practices.

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Forty years of HIV research inspires the development of SARS-CoV-2 therapy

Dr. William Haseltine, Chair of ACCESS Health International and Dr. Roberto Partarca, Chief Medical Officer, were asked to contribute a journal article for the Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, on lessons from the HIV/AIDS pandemic for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 as part of the Institut Pasteur’s commemoration of 40 years of HIV Science. Read the journal article here.

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ACCESS Health International at the ASK Health Asia Health and Life Sciences Innovation and Cooperation Summit

ACCESS Health International partnered with ASK Health Asia for the Asia Health and Life Sciences Innovation and Cooperation Summit 2023, which took place October 31 and November 1 in Singapore. The two-day summit covered the landscape of Asia's life sciences innovation and strategic market opportunities and brought together health system leaders, policymakers, academic leaders, and other partners across countries and regions in Asia. Dr. Krishna Reddy Nallamalla, President, of ACCESS Health International Asia moderated the opening panel on cross-regional commitment to health in the post-pandemic era, together with other esteemed colleagues. The panel discussed the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration between clinicians, civil society, industry, governments, philanthropy, and other stakeholders. Such collaborations are needed to fill in the estimated US$371 billion annual gap in financing and fostering a people-centered approach to design healthcare delivery. Dr. Marie Lamy, Director of Partnerships at ACCESS Health participated in another panel focusing on innovation in health financing for health. The panel was an opportunity to share more about the work of ACCESS Health International initiative Fintech for Health across the Asia region. It also addressed the need for digital solutions and cross-sectoral collaborations to address coverage gaps, and better respond to the needs of communities to access the care that they need and make that more efficient and affordable for them.

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ACCESS Health India showcases vision for integrated healthcare delivery at Christian Medical College Medicine Annual Conference

ACCESS Health India participated in the 2023 Christian Medical College Vellore Annual Conference (MAC), on November 23 and 24. The conference brings together industry professionals to explore clinical approaches to addressing health disparities and strengthening primary and secondary-level healthcare.   ACCESS Health India hosted a stall at the conference highlighting their Integrated Healthcare Delivery System within the Ayushman Bharat framework. The model is being developed in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and focuses on patient care and coordination pathways that use digital tools from the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) ecosystem to ensure timely and quality healthcare services to patients and a guaranteed continuum of care.   The conference provided an opportunity to gain feedback and perspectives from physicians and healthcare professionals on the Integrated Healthcare Delivery System and raise awareness of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

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Leading the conversation on climate resilience at the Primary Care Forum

From November 13 - 14, ACCESS Health International served as the co-initiator for the Primary Health Care (PHC) Forum, organized by the Center for Indonesia's Strategic Development Initiatives (CISDI) in Jakarta. ACCESS  organized a competence forum with the topic "Preparing for the Global South/LMICs for the Fight Against Climate Change", focusing on the impact of climate change on health and non-health determinants, emerging and social needs, community adaptation to climate change, and their active participation in decision-making that impacts their lives and livelihoods. The forum consisted of two-panel discussions that were moderated by Dr Krishna Reddy Nallamalla, President of ACCESS Health Asia, and Iman Hameed, Senior Consultant. Dr Uma Aysola, Director of Communications, Relations and Partnerships, served as emcee by laying the foundation for the sessions. The first panel examined the intersection between climate and health, its role in healthcare planning, climate adaption in communities, and how fostering community decision-making is key to addressing healthcare challenges arising from climate change. The second panel reflected on the challenges and opportunities faced by LMICs in confronting climate change; focused on prioritizing climate resilience on the government agenda, and various strategies to create climate-resilient healthcare systems; and effective and efficient methods of financing health system preparedness for climate change.

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Dr. Krishna Reddy appointed to the Advisory Board of the School of Digital Health at IIHMR University

Dr Krishna Reddy Nallamalla, President (Asia) of ACCESS Health International has been inducted into the Advisory Board of the newly established School of Digital Health under IIHMR University, Jaipur.   The School of Digital Health has been established with the vision to build excellence in digital health and to empower next-generation leaders. The School of Digital Health will be supported by the Advisory Board of globally renowned professionals engaged in digital transformation and digital health who will provide appropriate advice in promoting the agenda of the school in academics, research, training, executive education, and partnerships/collaborations.   Dr Reddy will serve on this board alongside other esteemed members including: Mr Sanjiv Navangul, Managing Director & CEO, Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited, Mumbai Ms Anisha Motwani, Founder and Director, STORM the NORM Ventures, New Delhi Mr Alok Mishra, CEO, Value Addition, Singapore and A/Prof, DukeNUS Medical School, Singapore Dr Amit Kharat, Co-Founder, Deepak.ai Prof Suptendra Nath Sarbadhikari, Expert (Digital health and Health informatics), Uttarakhand Health System Development Project, Dehradun Dr Anoop Khanna, Professor (HMIS), IIHMR University, Jaipur Dr Swapnil Gadhave, Assistant Professor (Digital Health), IHMR University, Jaipur   Dr. Reddy will serve as a member of the Advisory Board for the upcoming year and will provide inputs and advice to take forward the activities and agenda of the School of Digital Health within the IIHMR University.   At ACCESS Health, we continue to contribute to the growing wave of digital health in India, something we have been doing through multiple of our initiatives, including establishing the Health Informatics Network, as well as empowering the current and future healthcare workforce through our Management Development Course in Health Informatics that we have co-designed with InOrder and Administrative Staff College of India.   The team at ACCESS Health expresses their gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the healthcare and digital health fraternity through Dr. Reddy's expertise to this wonderful initiative by IIHMR, a multidisciplinary university that is nearly 4 decades old and with deep ties with many reputed international Universities and institutions across the globe.

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