Balancing quality, cost and access critical for public health: President

President R.N. Kovind on Friday urged the need to achieve a perfect triangle of "quality, cost and access," saying it was critical to get all three in place to work together in public health.

He said there is no point in having quality medicines and state-of-the-art technology if these are not affordable and accessible to those who need them most, and lowering prices is important without compromising quality.

This perfect triangle of quality, cost and access can be achieved by building alliances, between doctors and patients groups, civil society and industry, researchers and practitioners, and ultimately between countries.

He said India and the US share complementaries in the pharmaceutical sector like clinical research, drug discovery and manufacture and this country's experience in producing affordable, but high-quality drugs offer a huge advantage as the world and America itself, seeks to drive down the cost of healthcare and health insurance.

"Disease does not discriminate, and the practice of medicine and healthcare must not discriminate either," the President pointed out.

He was addressing the 12th Global Healthcare Summit organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in Mumbai.

He said the two countries can collaborate to find solutions to global pandemics and emerging zoonotic diseases which are global challenges not restricted to national boundaries.

"The challenge of life-style diseases such as diabetes and obesity being a serious public health issue both in India and the US, and their prevention and management offers scope for cooperation, including by bringing traditional Indian wellness practices to modern medical systems," President Kovind said.

In the context of public health in India, the President said that the goal of 'Health For All' must be made integral to our programmes and policies and referred to several government initiatives designed to make healthcare in the country more holistic and affordable to all Indians, and appealed to the doctors to see how they could contribute.

--IANS

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