The Department of Health Research (DHR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday inaugurated a two-day international meeting on “Health Research and Innovations in Public Health” at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in the Capital, bringing together senior representatives from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Timor-Leste.
The meet, part of the Regional Enabler for South and Southeast Asia Research for Health (RESEARCH) Platform, is aimed at strengthening health research systems, sharing best practices and promoting cross-border collaboration to tackle common public health challenges in the region.
Delivering the plenary address, Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, underlined the importance of regional solidarity in advancing health outcomes. “There is tremendous scope for us to learn from each other, co-create research products, and translate science into action. By working together, we can accelerate progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals across the region,” he said.
Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and DG, ICMR, said the region must “shape its own narrative” in global health. “Research is the way forward. By learning from each other’s research ecosystems, we can build stronger systems, generate knowledge that reflects our realities, and translate it into better health for our people,” he said.
Delegates from the four participating countries highlighted shared concerns such as anaemia, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, vector-borne diseases and non-communicable diseases. They also called for greater public trust in science, stronger investments in capacity building, and regional cooperation in health innovation.
On the sidelines, Dr Paul launched an exhibition showcasing medical devices and technologies supported under ICMR’s Medical Device and Diagnostics Mission Secretariat (MDMS). The exhibition displayed innovations developed by Indian researchers to address pressing healthcare challenges.
Over the next two days, discussions will focus on research governance, financing, agenda-setting, transparency and ethics. The meet will also deliberate on strategies to translate research into policy, foster medical technology innovation and strengthen international collaborations.