The epidemiological focus of ICTPH is to study the health and illnesses of the population and various factors that affect them. We also seek to explore unmet healthcare needs and household level healthcare expenditures that both reflect the extent of gaps in healthcare access and affordability. This information will be used to identify required health interventions for our target populations. Our work facilitates the understanding of rural populations required to design and implement preventive-promotive healthcare strategies core to our mission.

For more information, visit Epidemiology

The human capacity vertical aims to focus on optimal skill enhancement in both medical and research capabilities of healthcare professionals. ICTPH aims to indigenize the ‘Nurse Practitioner’ Model facilitating healthcare delivery. ICTPH will establish a Centre of Excellence with both National and International partners creating a world-class resource centre for knowledge creation and dissemination.

Despite various developments in the health sector there are real challenges in the field of human resources for health in India. The human resources for health are plagued by shortages in health personnel where the density of doctors (practicing modern medicine), nurses and midwifes per 1000 population was found to be around two in comparison to around six, seven and eleven in countries like Mongolia, Philippines and New Zealand respectively, in contrast to the average of 4 per 1000 and an acceptable minimum of 2.5 per 1000 (World Health Statistics, 2008). Another major concern is the inequitable distribution of health personnel where the concentrations are more in the urban areas. Less than 10% of doctors practicing modern as well as traditional medicine are available for rural health care and around 72% of Indians reside in rural areas. It is a well known fact that nations can improve health indices by strategically investing in and managing their human resources for health.

The Human Capacity vertical at ICTPH has a mandate to understand the need for innovation for human resources in health in India and create models for development and efficient utilisation of the skills and knowledge of the health workforce. The endeavour is to help increase the professional skills of health personnel as well as to create good working conditions for them so as to optimise their performance. Our mission is to develop the primary health care workforce in India using knowledge derived from research conducted internally as well from all over the world.

The healthcare Solutions vertical aims to leverage the pragmatic approach of assembling, packaging and integrating innovative solutions combining learnings through the organization. The PCD (Point of Care Diagnostic) Fund will enable promotion of diagnostic home solutions for diseases relevant to the Indian subcontinent.

At ICTPH, the Healthcare Solutions team endeavours to apply the learnings from our research activities. The goal is to suggest ways to enhance the delivery of effective solutions, to populations which face a crisis of accessibility, using the tools of finance and technology. For example, one of the key deliverables of this group is to empower a medical professional to make quick and accurate decisions with the aid of technology, thus leveraging her skills and enabling her to reach out to more people. This vertical also seeks to tackle the complex issue of health financing in India and serve a widely unserved market with innovative solutions.