Latest news with #PHFI
Hans India
2 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
IIPH Hyd'bad conferred with ‘Deemed to be University' status
Rangareddy: The Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Hyderabad and its sister institutions based in Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar have been conferred with a status of 'Deemed to be University' under a distinct category by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. According to a release by the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Hyderabad, the recognition was formally notified through Gazette of India, dated July 5, 2025. Following the announcement, the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) declared it as a seminal moment in the evolution of public health education, research and policy development in India. Elated over the conferment of a deemed to be university status to the (IIPH) along with sister institutions based at Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar, Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, the Founding President of PHFI said, 'We now have the academic freedom and operational flexibility to design anticipatory and adaptive curriculum – aligned with evolving national health policies such as Ayushman Bharat and respond dynamically to region-specific health needs.' He emphasized that India's public health challenges require a large and diverse workforce comprising health researchers, programme implementers, policy advocates, community engagement experts and systems analysers. The new university status, he further said, will empower the IIPHs to independently craft academic programmes tailored to India's complex health transitions ranging from communicable and non-communicable diseases to pandemic preparedness and ageing-related care. Meanwhile, as part of the Telangana government's measure to revamp the health care sector in the state, the Rangareddy district administration has planned to fill the posts of Medical officers in various Upper Primary Health Centers (UPHCs) under the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM). According to notification, the Office of the district Medical & Health Officer Rangareddy district invited applications from eligible candidates for filling up 21 posts of Medical Officers on contract basis for a period of one year. 'The process of receiving applications by-hand and online already begins from July 11 and will continue till 5.00 pm on July 18. Later, the same will be sent to Collectorate Rangareddy for the purpose of scrutiny and selection of the eligible candidates,' informed Mallikarjun, Senior Assistant, District Medical & Health Office (DM&HO) Rangareddy district.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Smart Diagnosis, Safer Outcomes: Experts Discuss the Next Frontier in Precision Medicine
By Rashmi Mabiyan and Vishal Kumar Singh New Delhi: Imagine a future where diagnostics are not only fast and accurate but also mobile, patient-friendly, and deeply integrated with artificial intelligence. At the inaugural edition of Future MedX, The Smart Patient Care Summit, a panel of leading experts came together to explore exactly that possibility in the session titled " Smart Diagnosis : The Next Frontier in Medical Accuracy & Patient Safety." The discussion, moderated by Dr. Shweta Prabhakar, Medical Superintendent, Paras Health brought together perspectives from laboratory science, public health, microbiology, and hospital administration to examine how technology can be harnessed without compromising safety, equity, or trust. The panel consisted of Dr. Raj Shankar Ghosh, Senior Advisor-Environmental Health, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI); Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Rana, Chief Executive Officer, Quality & Accreditation Institute; Arpan Malhotra, Director & Chief Operating Officer, Max Lab Limited; Dr. Sonal Saxena, Director, Professor & Head, Dept. of Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College. Rethinking the Meaning of 'SMART' The session opened with a foundational question: What exactly makes a diagnosis "smart"? Dr. Sonal Saxena began the discussion by setting the tone. 'SMART, we are interpreting here as something which is specific, measurable, accurate, reliable, and time-bound and traceable,' she said. She noted that smart diagnostics must be 'patient-centric' and emphasized the importance of information systems. 'Lab information systems go a very long way in making a smart diagnosis.' Arpan Malhotra offered a broader take. He said, 'A diagnosis or diagnostics is SMART if it enables the objectives of diagnosis to be done better. It's an acronym, but it is also anything which is relatively better than what it was before.' Meanwhile, Dr. Raj Shankar Ghosh introduced an alternative definition tailored for public health delivery: 'We look at SMART as something which is safe, mobile, affordable, rapid, and transparent.' He added, 'The patient does not have to travel a long distance in order to access that technology.' Smart Diagnosis Begins Before the Lab A recurring theme throughout the panel was the importance of pre-analytical quality. According to Arpan Malhotra, 'The most important piece is the pre-analytics, which accounts for maybe two-third of all the problems that occur.' He discussed innovations like geotagging, barcoding, and sample temperature monitoring, and emphasized that patient feedback must be integrated into the diagnostic process. Dr. Bhupendra Rana echoed this, stressing the need for individualized care. 'Patient safety is the right results at the right time to the right patient.' He warned against a one-size-fits-all approach: 'One single diagnostic test should not be applied to all.' He also highlighted how fragile and complex newer diagnostic tools can be. 'They need more than what traditional equipment needed because they are very fragile.' Maintenance and calibration are no longer optional; they are essential. 'Even software is a medical device,' he reminded the audience. AI: The Double-Edged Sword of Diagnosis Artificial Intelligence took center stage as a key enabler—and challenge—in modern diagnostics. Dr. Raj Shankar Ghosh called AI 'inevitable' in healthcare , adding that it improves 'efficiency,' 'evidence quality,' and 'equity,' while also empowering both patients and providers. However, he issued a caution: 'We need to do a lot more work around the ethics of technology.' Arpan Malhotra shared how AI tools are already improving decision-making in labs. 'The algorithms and the decision algorithms—whether it is moving averages or delta checks—are telling us that something is wrong even before we've actually entered the result.' These systems, he said, can catch errors early and make diagnostics safer. But AI comes with its own risks. Malhotra warned about over-reliance: 'We just have to be very careful that we don't become lazy. MIT did a study, and they said that AI is making us dumb.' He emphasized that tools like ChatGPT should be 'a second brain, not the only brain.' Dr. Sonal Saxena shared her early experience with AI in microbiology, particularly during COVID-19. 'I wished I had this kind of technology when I was a student. It really changed the way I looked at things.' She expressed concern that over-reliance on AI in medical education may be eroding students' conceptual understanding, turning learning into blind instruction-following rather than critical thinking. Dr. Raj brought the discussion back to patient safety, noting a critical issue in India: 'Interpretation is the biggest roadblock today,' especially in cases like antimicrobial resistance (AMR), where accurate decisions are crucial. Operational Realities and Ground-Level Solutions The panelists didn't shy away from highlighting operational gaps. Arpan Malhotra spoke about fragmentation across diagnostic chains: 'The biggest problem is that all the equipment companies have proprietary systems, so they do not talk to each other.' Dr. Bhupendra Rana emphasized the need for nationwide minimum standards in diagnostics, suggesting that their implementation would significantly enhance patient safety across the country. This need for simplicity was echoed in a powerful story shared by Dr. Sonal Saxena. A woman whose child had dengue got confused amid multiple conflicting reports. 'In the whole process, she lost the idea whether her child's NS1 is positive or negative.' Dr. Raj also emphasized that the end goal of diagnostics must remain focused on the patient: 'If the diagnostic system is not able to translate into good decision-making for the community or the health system, then it is of no value.' A Path Forward In the closing phase of the discussion, Dr. Shweta Prabhakar, summarized the solution ahead: 'The solution approach is that we need to be simple.' The panel agreed the importance of integrating technologies, ensuring standards, and keeping the patient at the center of every innovation. As the diagnostic ecosystem in India grows increasingly digital, mobile, and AI-integrated, the conversation reminded us that smart diagnosis is not just about speed or accuracy—it's about trust, transparency, and thoughtful application.
Business Upturn
03-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Reckitt Partners with Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) to Drive Transformative Public Health Interventions
New Delhi, Delhi, India: Reckitt, a leading global consumer health and hygiene company, has partnered with the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) to strengthen its purpose-led programs across India, with a focus on health, hygiene, sanitation, and life skills education. Established in 2006, PHFI is a globally recognized public-private initiative that has contributed significantly to building India's public health capacity through education, research, and advocacy. The institution was recently ranked second among schools of public health globally (International Journal of Public Health, March 2024) and has been recognized as an ICMR Collaborating Centre of Excellence. The partnership brings together Reckitt's deep experience in driving large-scale behavioural change and PHFI's leadership in public health research, education, and policy. Together, the two organizations aim to co-create innovative solutions, strengthen institutional capacity, and document scalable community health models that can be replicated across India. As part of the collaboration, PHFI will work closely with Reckitt and its civil society partners to validate and document existing outreach programs nationwide. The resulting evidence will be translated into case studies and academic publications to highlight effective, scalable models for health impact. On the partnership, Professor Sanjay Zodpey, President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), said, 'Partnership between Reckitt and Public Health Foundation of India will develop initiatives responding to community health needs for capacity building, training programs and research to address the public health challenges with a focus on sanitation and hygiene.' Ravi Bhatnagar, Director, External Affairs and Partnerships, Reckitt – South Asia, said, 'At Reckitt, we believe we achieve more together as trusted partners. Through collaboration, we can collectively drive systemic, long-term positive change. We deeply value this collaboration, which unites PHFI's academic and policy leadership with Reckitt's on-ground experience in driving behavioural change. Hygiene is the foundation of good health, and this partnership marks another meaningful step in our journey to support the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. Trusted, purpose-aligned partnerships like this are essential to building a healthier, more resilient India.' PHFI has established five Indian Institutes of Public Health and contributed more than 4,800 research publications to the field. Its recognition as a global public health leader further showcases the strength it brings to this collaboration to deliver evidence-based health interventions. With this partnership, Reckitt and PHFI are not only setting a new benchmark for public-private collaboration but also laying the groundwork for transformative change in how India addresses its most pressing health challenges. Grounding interventions in science and scaling them through community action, the partnership aims to deliver lasting improvements in sanitation, hygiene, and public health outcomes. More than a partnership, this is a mission-driven alliance focused on shifting narratives, empowering communities, and reinforcing the foundations of India's public health system. Together, Reckitt and PHFI aim to ensure that access to health and hygiene is a right for all, not a privilege. About Reckitt Advertisement Reckitt* exists to protect, heal and nurture in the pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We believe that access to the highest-quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment is a right, not a privilege. Reckitt is the company behind some of the world's most recognisable and trusted consumer brands in hygiene, health and nutrition, including Air Wick, Calgon, Cillit Bang, Clearasil, Dettol, Durex, Enfamil, Finish, Gaviscon, Harpic, Lysol, Mortein, Mucinex, Nurofen, Nutramigen, Strepsils, Vanish, Veet, Woolite and more. Every day, around 30 million Reckitt products are bought globally. We always put consumers and people first, seek out new opportunities, strive for excellence in all that we do and build shared success with all our partners. We aim to do the right thing, always. We are a diverse global team of 40,000 colleagues. We draw on our collective energy to meet our ambitions of purpose-led brands, a healthier planet and a fairer society. Find out more or get in touch with us at *Reckitt is the trading name of the Reckitt Benckiser group of companies. Click here for Media Contact Details Submit your press release Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
New Indian Express
03-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
India's public health leaders call for warning labels on food products high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat
NEW DELHI: A coalition of India's 29 leading public health and consumer organisations on Tuesday urged the centre to mandate front-of-pack warning labels on pre-packaged food and beverage products high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat (HFSS). The leading public health leaders gave the call for warning labels, responding to the mounting evidence of health risks posed by HFSS and ultra-processed food (UPF) products. Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, Honorary Distinguished Professor and Goodwill Ambassador of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) for Public Health Partnerships, who has been a longstanding voice in India's public health landscape, said: 'India cannot afford to wait while non-communicable diseases (NCDs) escalate and children become marketing targets.' 'Warning labels are simple, effective, and evidence-based,' he added. The policy statement initiated by Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) is endorsed by 28 organisations, including PHFI, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Indian Public Health Association (IPHA), Consumer VOICE, and Diabetes India. Patient groups like Kidney Warriors have also supported the statement.
