CAMTech Diabetes Initiative opens with clinical summit in Hyd

The Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech) organised the Diabetes Clinical Summit: An Ecosystem Approach at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) here today.
This day-long event made up of a series of panel discussions featuring a diverse group of stakeholders, including patients, physicians, nurses, ASHA workers, government and industry representatives, and public health experts - focused on tackling pressing clinical health challenges and barriers to diabetes care in India, according to a CAMTech statement.
"As the diabetes capital of the world, CAMTech wanted to direct our innovation efforts to India," Elizabeth Bailey, Director at CAMTech, was quoted as saying.
"Through the clinical summit, we can identify the clinical challenges influencing this epidemic and use the hack-a-thon as a vehicle to mobilise a talented network of innovators from all over the country to create solutions that will improve and save lives in India," Bailey said.

Dr. Gullapalli N Rao, founder and chair at LVPEI and an ophthalmology expert, delivered the keynote address at the event. The day concluded with the CAMTech Technology Showcase, an interactive presentation of early-stage and newly-marketed diabetes focused technologies.
In addition, Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF) has partnered with Villgro, a social enterprise incubator, to help incubate the winning ideas after the Hack-a-thon by launching new ventures. Through hands on mentor-ship and funding, MIF and

Viillgro will help teams convert their prototypes into viable, low-cost innovative solutions, it said.
"MIF is keen to support the Diabetes Hack-a-thon, as it is the ideal source of the next generation of disruptive innovations that have the potential to be game changers for the bottom of the pyramid in India," said MIF founder Harsh Mariwala.

"By providing them with mentoring opportunities and direct funding, both of which are critical to successful incubation, MIF aims to play a catalytic role in fostering innovation to develop scalable and replicable solutions that have the potential to create sustainable direct impact," he said.
CAMTech would host the Diabetes Innovation Hack-a-thon in Hyderabad on October 10-11 in partnership with Lattice Innovations and with support from MIF, Terumo and Medtronic.