New Delhi, Jan 15: The Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC) has been awarded the ICMR grant to establish a Centre for Advanced Research (CAR) for Rural Health Care Transformation (RAHAT). Through this grant, CCDC will strive to enhance healthcare inclusivity by enabling primary healthcare accessibility across rural India through the innovative integration of digital health solutions. The CAR for RAHAT, with its Smart Village Initiative, also has the potential to enable social inclusion, empower communities, provide enhanced continuity of care, build research and practice capacity, and establish a robust rural health ecosystem.
The centre will examine implementation gaps in healthcare infrastructure, digital access, and community access and deploy customized interventions to bridge the healthcare inclusivity gap. Through this centre for RAHAT, CCDC aims to create a scalable, multi-stakeholder, transformative rural health research and training platform across four Indian states, to begin with. This will employ a network of interconnected ICMR-DHR health research infrastructure in medical colleges and research institutions across the country. Embracing the objectives of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), the ICMR-CAR for RAHAT seeks to promote integration and interoperability, fostering a resilient rural health ecosystem.
Speaking about CCDC receiving the ICMR CAR grant, Dr. Prabhakaran, Executive Director, CCDC, expressed, “With over 65% of the population residing in rural areas, the challenges in healthcare are immense. This grant empowers us to conduct critical research and address healthcare disparities underserved communities face. Amidst the dual burden of Non-Communicable Diseases and persistent infectious diseases in rural India, ICMR-CAR for RAHAT will be pivotal in transforming healthcare delivery and uplifting health outcomes in vulnerable areas.”
The ICMR-CAR for RAHAT will strive to create pathways of change aimed at bridging gaps and reducing inequities in primary healthcare for rural India through:
-
Strengthening research, training, and implementation capabilities of linked MRUs and medical colleges
-
Promote sustainability through local ownership and accountability
-
Expediting the integration of ABDM into the rural health system
-
Bridge the gap between scientific advancements and policy implementation
Dr Ashoo Grover, Senior Scientist from ICMR, while sharing his views on ICMR-CAR on RAHAT said, “The CAR projects are the flagship projects of the country, and through this award, it is expected to advance biomedical research agenda and addressing healthcare challenges.”
