Health Care Policy
Transition paths towards better health outcomes in India: Optimizing the use of existing pooled government funds
Content from the Brookings Institution India Center is now archived. After seven years of an impactful partnership, as of September 11, 2020, Brookings India is now the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, an independent public policy institution based in India.
We are hosting the next Development Seminar on “The Challenge of Financing Primary Health Care in India” by Dr. Sumit Mazumdar, Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Economics, The University of York on August 9, 2019 from 4:00-5:30 PM at Brookings India.
Abstract: Ensuring affordable, effective and responsive health services at the primary care level has been a major challenge for the Indian health system which comprises of a large under-regulated private sector. This research focuses on international experiences of countries with similar health systems to inform policy in India. It additionally explores how the Ayushman Bharat initiative can be a game-changer to strengthen the public sector role in the market for primary health care through greater community-based health workers’ engagement and establishment of Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs).
Discussants:
Dr. Sisir Debnath is an Assistant Professor in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He received his Ph. D., from the University of Virginia in 2013. His primary research interests are in the areas of health, gender, and education in developing countries. Some of his current research involves investigating the effects of the social network in affecting the demand for tertiary care for publicly provided health insurance in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya is a physician, public health practitioner & public policy strategist with 16+ years of experience. His work is a blend of policy formulation, program design and field implementation, with focus on health & development. Dr. Lahariya has worked closely with the union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, and NITI Aayog in India, and has insider view on health sector in India, with contributions to big policy initiatives such as drafting of National Health Policy (NHP) 2017, design of Ayushman Bharat Program, & setting up community clinics in Indian states.
Program:
| 4:00 PM- 4:40PM | Dr. Sumit Mazumdar will give a focused presentation for 40 minutes |
| 4:40 PM- 5:00PM | Discussants will share their insights for 10 minutes |
| 5:00 PM- 5:30PM | Audience Q&A with Speaker and Discussants |
Speaker’s Bio: Sumit’s research primarily focuses on health care financing in low-and-middle-income countries and economic analysis of health interventions. He has worked on inequality in health behaviour and outcomes, particularly those related to non-communicable diseases. Sumit has been involved in preparation of Human Development Reports for several states in India, and has been the lead author for chapters on health and nutrition. Sumit holds a PhD in Health Economics from the International Institute of Population Sciences, Mumbai.
