The Department of Health Research (DHR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) inaugurated a two-day regional meeting titled “Health Research and Innovations in Public Health: Exchange of Good Practices across RESEARCH Platform” at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan.
The event brought together senior representatives from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Timor-Leste, aiming to strengthen health research systems, share good practices, and promote cross-border collaboration in South and Southeast Asia.
This meeting is part of the Regional Enabler for South and Southeast Asia Research for Health (RESEARCH) Platform, designed to foster solidarity, knowledge exchange, and regional cooperation.
Delivering the plenary address, Dr. V.K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, praised the participating nations for their progress in improving public health.
“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 the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.
Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, DHR and DG, ICMR, emphasized the need for South and Southeast Asian countries to create their own narrative in health research.
“By learning from each other’s ecosystems, we can build stronger systems, generate context-specific knowledge, and translate it into better health outcomes,” he noted.
Representatives from the participating countries highlighted common regional health concerns, including anaemia, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, vector-borne diseases, and non-communicable diseases. They stressed the importance of public trust in science, sustained investment in capacity building and infrastructure, and a shared commitment to regional solidarity.
On the occasion, Dr. Paul also inaugurated an exhibition featuring medical innovations supported by ICMR’s Medical Device and Diagnostics Mission Secretariat (MDMS). The showcase highlighted products and technologies developed by Indian innovators to tackle pressing health challenges and strengthen healthcare delivery.
Over the two days, discussions will cover:
Governance and financing of health research systems
Research agenda setting and ethical frameworks
Strategies for medical technology innovation
Translating research into policy and practice
Enhancing collaboration across countries and sectors
This first-of-its-kind meeting marks a significant step in regional cooperation. By uniting under the RESEARCH Platform, participating countries reaffirmed their commitment to co-creating solutions and harnessing science and innovation to advance universal health coverage and improve population health.