Prepare for current and emerging threats
India can assume a leadership role in addressing health concerns as its scientific community continues to grow
The Zika crisis is the latest example of an epidemic that has spread to various parts of the world in a short period of time. More than 35 years after its discovery, HIV has infected over 80 million people worldwide and killed nearly half of them. In 2015, more than one million died and double that number were newly infected.
The interplay between population growth, poverty and overburdened or underdeveloped health care systems, globalisation, environmental degradation, and ever-increasing human travel across the globe has increased the volatility and frequency of such outbreaks.
The experience of Zika, Ebola and HIV shows that we will not succeed in creating an effective response unless we develop critical public health capabilities.
An example of a multi-sectoral approach is the recent Ebola vaccine advancement to late-stage clinical trials that would not have been possible without the close relationship between government and public sector partners, NGOs and industry. In HIV, global access to anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs was made possible by aligning scientific innovation with the ability of Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers to produce large quantities of ARVs at affordable prices. Likewise, Indian manufacturers are producing large quantities of affordable childhood vaccines that are saving lives in low- and middle-income countries.
We have learned that science works best in teams and through collaboration. South-South collaborations are, therefore, an indispensable tool for advancing scientific capabilities in the global South.
A quarter of new health products in the last 15 years targeting improved management of neglected diseases have emerged from India. It has led one of the most successful polio eradication programmes, developed numerous centres of global excellence in biomedical research and clinical development, and established itself as a hotbed for low-cost pharmaceutical manufacturing.
As India’s scientific community continues to grow, there is an opportunity to assume enhanced leadership in addressing contemporary health threats.
Recent efforts towards expanding collaborative initiatives with African nations in the health sciences are a welcome step in this regard, and are expected to play an important role in propelling South-South scientific alliances towards achieving regional and local health and development goals, and advancing global health equity. These partnerships will also catalyse and accelerate the research and development of new tools to better prepare the world for current and emerging global health challenges.