ACCESS Health International participated actively in the 8th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR2024), held in Nagasaki, Japan, from November 18-22, 2024. Themed “Building Just and Sustainable Health Systems: Centering People and Protecting the Planet,” this event provided a platform for ACCESS Health to showcase its work on health system resilience, evidence-based policymaking, and innovative approaches to global health challenges.
Presentations Showcasing Our Research
ACCESS Health staff presented a series of impactful research studies, emphasizing resilience, evidence translation, and health system adaptation.
Oral Presentations
- Estimating the Normative Cost of Delivering Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Package in India
- Conducted a normative cost analysis in Tamil Nadu to address financing needs, optimize resource allocation, and refine primary healthcare service packages.
- Emphasized normative costing’s role in standardizing services, identifying resource gaps, and advocating for investment to enhance efficiency, equity, and health outcomes of primary healthcare.
- This paper was authored by Tushar Mokashi, Maulik Chokshi, Arun B Nair and Oshia Garg from ACCESS Health.
- The paper was presented by Tushar Mokashi, Assistant Director – Health Systems.
- Development of a Toolkit to Measure Health Systems Resilience: Application of a Modified Delphi Method
- Explored the creation of a toolkit to assess health systems resilience, using a rigorous Delphi method to ensure robust and comprehensive metrics.
- This toolkit is a significant output of ACCESS Health’s ongoing efforts to enhance the resilience and adaptability of health systems under GLC4HSR.
- This paper was authored by Sushma Dsouza, Dr. Shrikant Kalaskar, Latika Rewaria, Dr. Mehnaz Kabeer, Dr. Krishna Reddy, and Maulik Chokshi from ACCESS Health along with former ACCESS Health colleagues Dr. Anuradha Katyal and Sreemeena Satyanarayana.
Poster Presentations
Understanding the Factors Influencing Generation, Translation, and Application of Modeled Evidence in India
- Explored the processes shaping the use of modeled evidence in policy making, identifying barriers to evidence generation and application.
- Offered insights into enhancing the practical use of data to inform policy decisions in diverse contexts.
- This paper was authored by Maulik Chokshi, Arun B. Nair, and Tushar Mokashi from ACCESS Health; Latha Chilgod (Independent Researcher); and Leah Ewald, Abeba Taddese, and Apoorva Handigol from the Results for Development Institute, Washington, D.C.
- The poster was presented by Tushar Mokashi, Assistant Director – Health Systems.
Building Bridges: Determinants of Private Sector Engagement and Empanelment Under PMJAY in India
- Analysed key factors influencing private sector participation in India’s PMJAY program, the country’s flagship health insurance scheme.
- Suggested strategies to strengthen private sector engagement to improve healthcare accessibility and quality.
- This paper was authored by Arun B. Nair, Maulik Chokshi, and Tushar Mokashi from ACCESS Health, along with Grace Achungura and Jaidev Singh from the WHO India Country Office, and Ruchira Agarwal from the National Health Authority, Government of India.
- The poster was presented by Tushar Mokashi, Assistant Director – Health Systems.
Building Resilient Urban Health Systems: Harnessing Intersectoral Convergence for Sustainable Impact
- This presentation highlighted the role of intersectoral collaboration in strengthening urban health systems.
- It focused on integrating health, urban planning, and social services to enhance resilience in urban areas and achieve sustainable outcomes.
- This paper was authored by Prince Chugh, Maulik Chokshi and Tushar Mokashi from ACCESS Health.
- The poster was presented by Tushar Mokashi, Assistant Director – Health Systems.
Community-based Non-Communicable Disease Health Literacy Interventions: A Scoping Review
- Dr. Shweta also presented findings from a health literacy project in Chhattisgarh, India, emphasizing innovative, ground-level approaches to improve NCD health literacy.
One Health Approach for Disaster Preparedness
- Dr. Shrikant Kalaskar, Technical Head – Public Health & Capacity Building, presented “One Health Approach for Disaster Preparedness: A Study to Build Integrated Resilient Health Systems.”
- This work explored integrating health systems with disaster preparedness using a One Health framework.
Data-Driven Approaches to Health System Resilience
- Sushma Dsouza, Project Officer – Public Health, presented “Assessing Health System Resilience Using Exploratory Data Analysis: A Pilot Study in India.”
- Her presentation highlighted the use of data-driven methods to evaluate and strengthen health system resilience.
Panel Discussions: Bridging Evidence and Policy
ACCESS Health experts also participated in critical panel discussions to share insights on translating research into actionable policies:
- Evidence to Action: Using Research to Strengthen Health Systems
- Dr. Shweta Singh, Senior Technical Specialist – Research & Public Health, served as a panelist in the “Evidence to Action” session. She shared strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders and translating research into policies that strengthen health systems.
Fireside Chat and Business Meeting: Enhancing Regional Collaboration
In addition to research presentations, Iman Hameed, Senior Consultant at ACCESS Health participated in a business meeting and fireside chat focused on strengthening HPSR collaborations. This session aimed to develop a strategic action plan for 2025, addressing key challenges and opportunities in regional health systems:
Key Objectives:
- Promote collaboration among HPSR networks across APAC.
- Establish a strategic framework for collective action on shared health challenges.
Key Discussion Points:
- Routine Engagement: The importance of regular inter-network touchpoints to align efforts on global health priorities.
- Unified Advocacy: Ensuring strong, coordinated representation at global health forums to amplify regional perspectives.
- Sustainable Financing: Addressing the persistent challenge of securing adequate funding for health policy research, with a focus on joint fundraising and advocacy for increased budget allocations.
Strengthening Health Systems Through HPSRI Collaboration
As part of the half-day Health Policy and Systems Research Initiative (HPSRI) accelerator capacity-building session, Iman Hameed, Senior Consultant at ACCESS Health, co-led a breakout group that addressed the critical challenges in translating health policy and systems research into effective policymaking. The session engaged policymakers and HPSRI leaders from across Asia in collaborative discussions, focusing on identifying common barriers and developing actionable strategies to strengthen health systems.
Ms. Hameed’s breakout group specifically explored the challenges and opportunities within implementation research for primary healthcare. The group emphasized how enhanced collaboration between HPSRIs and policymakers could improve outcomes by bridging the gap between research and policy application.
Looking Ahead
The HSG Symposium 2024 provided an invaluable platform for ACCESS Health International to contribute to global health discourse and showcase its expertise. The organization’s research and collaborative efforts continue to drive progress in building resilient, equitable, and sustainable health systems across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond..