Ignite interest in medical research from school level: Soumya Swaminathan
Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of MSSRF and former Chief Scientist of the WHO, highlighted the insu cient progress of India in medical research despite possessing all the necessary ingredients. She emphasised the need to cultivate interest in this field beginning from the school level.
“I believe that to foster more interest in medical research in our country, exposure and training in research should begin in schools, and children need to be genuinely excited about it. We must ignite this passion at a young age, or else it becomes very challenging,” she pointed out during a discussion on the book At the Wheel of Research, a biography of Soumya Swaminathan authored by Anuradha Mascarenhas.
LAGGING BEHIND
While acknowledging some improvements, Swaminathan noted that they are not su cient. Despite India’s abundance of clinical resources, excellent physicians, and top-notch hospitals, the country lags in medical research compared to leading nations. “This is probably a challenge across all disciplines, not just in medicine. We also need more interdisciplinary research. Many private universities are entering these fields, but greater eorts are needed, beginning from schools and colleges,” she added.
Even though the budget for health research has increased, it remains a small fraction of the total health budget, which itself is only 1 per cent of GDP. This level of investment is inadequate considering the complexities of the health challenges we face. Currently, the majority of health research investment comes from the government, with little contribution from the private sector, she said.
However, “it was only during Covid, I think, for the first time, that some of our pharmaceutical companies actually engaged in serious R&D and were able to produce. Our pharmaceutical companies are mainly focussed on generic manufacturing. Therefore, the technology is primarily about how to make aordable, quality drugs and vaccines, not about developing new products. But during Covid, I think they were challenged. The government also allocated funds, leading to the development of some new products in India,” said Swaminathan.
EFFECTIVE MESSAGING
Nalini Krishnan, FounderDirector of REACH, a nonprofit organisation working on tuberculosis for over two decades, praised Soumya Swaminathan’s global recognition, attributing it to her eective communication during the pandemic. She highlighted Swaminathan’s calm and science-based communication amidst the chaos of misinformation, making her a respected personality worldwide.