1. Satellite Session at Health Systems Research 2024, Nagasaki
The PHC4UHC India Consortium hosted a Satellite Session at HSR 2024, the 8th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Nagasaki, Japan. The session was built around our accepted abstract, Pathways from Primary Health Care to Universal Health Coverage: a learning lab to examine insights linking global evidence and local practice, which fell under the sub-theme Knowledge for Just Health Systems.
The panel included members of the Consortium and invited experts from Asia and Africa: Piya Hanvoravongchai (Equity Initiative/Chulalongkorn University, Thailand), Meghan Bruce Kumar (Northumbria University, UK/Kenya), and Prashanth NS (Institute of Public Health, India). Daniela Rodriguez (Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research) chaired the discussion. Using a participatory learning lab approach, the session explored linkages between PHC and UHC globally with two main objectives: (i) to share current evidence on how PHC processes and mechanisms contribute to UHC outcomes in India and beyond; and (ii) to co-learn and co-create understanding of pathways for strengthening the PHC–UHC connection.
2. Expert Committee on Urban Health, Government of Karnataka
Members of the Consortium team at IPH Bengaluru (Prashanth NS and Vaibhav Agavane), were invited to join the state government’s expert committee on urban health. The committee was tasked with assessing and providing recommendations on strengthening Bengaluru’s health system, at a time when the city corporation was undergoing a major restructuring into five separate entities. This reflects a broader challenge across many Indian cities, where large urban corporations struggle to keep pace with decentralization and growing health demands.
The committee examined issues related to PHC in the city and worked in collaboration with the National Health Systems Resource Centre, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, and city health officials. Its recommendations were compiled in a report that has been submitted to the government. The restructuring process is expected to be completed by November 2025. A
3. Panel at the International Conference on Public Policy and Management
The Consortium organized a session on Strengthening Universal Health Coverage: Insights from India’s Primary Healthcare Landscape at the 20th International Conference on Public Policy and Management, held at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore in August 2025. Panelists included senior government officials from the state governments of Jharkhand and Karnataka, alongside consortium members.
4. Symposium on Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs)
The Consortium team at IIM B, in collaboration with the Indian Institutes of Management at Ranchi, Shillong, and Udaipur, is organising a series of symposia on Implementation of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs: Challenges and the Way Forward. These events aim to bring together policymakers, academics, healthcare professionals, and subject-matter experts to exchange perspectives and generate practical insights for strengthening AAMs. The symposia are scheduled to be held between August and October 2025.
5. Policy Impact: Tribal Health Navigators in Karnataka
A major policy outcome of the project was the state government’s decision to continue the Tribal Health Navigator programme and expand it to all five districts with Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). Importantly, the government order formally notified IPH Bengaluru as the technical support agency for the scheme..
In addition, the panel discussion at IIMB and state-to-state exchanges facilitated by the project created important new opportunities for cross-learning and policy uptake. Key outcomes included:
6. Paper presentation at the Institute for Rural Management, Anand
A draft working paper on the secondary analysis was presented in the Health, Education and Human Development session at 25th Biennial conference of the Association of Indian Economic and Financial Studies (AIEFS), held at the IRMA, Anand.
