Medical expertswarn about the ‘silent epidemic’ of kidney diseases in India

Participants at the roundtable on kidney care organized by Imprimis Research & Advocacy stress on a collaborative approach among all stakeholders to tackle the menace of chronic kidney disease (CKD) through creating awareness among the society, providing better access to treatment and educating people about the importance of organ donation

New Delhi, 13 March 2013: Sensing the urgency about tackling the menace of CKD in India, the Research & Advocacy wing of Imprimis, a multi-disciplinary communications consultancy, organized a power-packed roundtable on kidney diseases. The roundtable, held a day before the World Kidney Day 2013, was built around the theme of “Care for Your Kidneys. Participants included kidney specialists from some of Delhi’s top medical institutions, along with representatives from the legal fraternity, insurance sector, NGOs and the Government.

Dr L. Swasticharan, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare who is in charge of the National Tobacco Control Programme and other NCDs, gave the keynote address at the roundtable that had medical specialists discussing the rising kidney disease burden in India; its causes and symptoms; the role of pharmaceutical companies in medical innovation for CKD; the dilemma of dialysis v/s transplantation; deceased organ donation; and the role of health insurance in the equation.

Said Dr L. Swasticharan: “The incidence of end-stage kidney disease in India is estimated to be 150 to 175 per million population per year (or between 150,000 and 175,000 cases). It needs focused attention in terms of raising awareness amongst the people, preventing CKD from happening and helping patients in managing the disease. CKD is no longer an uncommon disease and once it happens, it is expensive to manage. Though CKD is not something which cannot be treated at all, the cost is enormous. Moreover, it also affects the poor disproportionally and the awareness amongst the general public is low and needs to be addressed. CKD dramatically increases the risk of adverse outcomes in terms of healthcare costs, the quality of life the patient leads and ultimately the disease outcome.”

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is emerging as a major healthcare challenge for countries around the world. According to WHO, the diseases of the kidney and urinary tract contribute to over 850,000 deaths worldwide. As the incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) rises in India, the problem of CKD is becoming acute. Worse, only a very small percentage of the patients have access to renal replacement and transplant therapy or can afford the procedure.

Dr Sanjay Gupta, Additional Professor of Nephrology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said: “Nearly 10% of the Indian population suffers from some form of kidney disease with close to 1.5 lakh people getting added to this number every year. The biggest worry is that most cases are asymptomatic; but, some symptoms such as lethargy, swelling of legs and face, anemia, and decreased appetite may point to presence of kidney disease. Recognition and prevention comprise the most important part of tackling CKD. It is important to control diabetes and hypertension for prevention of kidney diseases. Patients also need to avoid even chemicals such as pain medicines.”

The objective of the conference was to create awareness about all aspects of the CKD which kills hundreds of thousands of people every year in India. Experts gave their insights and shared their experiences about issues such as ensuring good kidney health, prevention, treatment and management of CKD, health insurance, legal tangles and kidney transplants.

Highlighting the role of the healthcare Industry in ensuring access of patients to treatment and promoting awareness among them about various diseases, Mr Alok Khettry, Senior Director – CNS, Emerging Markets & Super Specialty Business, with Sanofi India, said: “The genesis of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in a patient is usually silent, and hence, discovered late. Creating awareness about the disease is therefore vital as it could prevent many complications, emotional stress, and expenses that the patient incurs as a consequence of the disease. Sanofi, in its capacity as a healthcare company, is bringing together and collaborating with various stakeholders to improve the overall CKD management through patient awareness and better access to treatment. Through this approach, we can jointly improve survival rates, quality of life, and economic burden.”

Dr Harsha Jauhari, Chairman, Dept of Renal Transplant Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said: “The number of transplants required is far more than the donors available. There are less than 300 registered kidney transplant centres, nearly 700 nephrologists and not more than 100 transplant surgeons. The scenario demands an urgent new approach with a lot of investment in research and prevention at genetic level, earliest diagnostic screening and advice and identification of vulnerable groups. CKD prevention should become a National Programme.”

Dr Sanjiv Jasuja, Sr Consultant – Nephrology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said: “Rampant use of painkillers & their free over the counter availability is becoming important cause of Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney disease in Community. With current availability resources & robust management strategies the patients of Kidney disease can look for near normal & healthy life. ”

Participants at the conference included:
Dr Sanjay Gupta, Additional Prof of Nephrology, AIIMS
Dinesh K. Dhanwal, Director Prof of Medicine and Endocrinologist, Maulana Azad Medical College
Dr Harsha Jauhari, Chairman, Department of Renal Transplantation, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
Mr Alok Khettry, Senior Director - CNS, Emerging Markets and Super Specialty Business, Sanofi India
Mr Aseem Garg, Founder and CEO, Deep Chand Dialysis Centre (DCDC)
Dr Sunil Kumar Jain, Chief Pharmacist, AIIMS & VP – Indian Pharmaceutical Association, Delhi Branch
Dr Sanjiv Jasuja, Sr Consultant - Nephrology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital
Mr Sanjay Jain, Senior Advocate, High Court of Delhi - Committee member of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill, 2008
Ms Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, Mohan Foundation
Dr S. Vijay, Claims Head, Religare Health Insurance Company Limited.

The event was organized in association with Sanofi India.

* * *
About Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
CKD, also known as chronic renal disease, is a progressive loss in renal function over a period of months or years. Chronic kidney failure is a progressive irreversible deterioration in renal function in which the body’s ability to maintain metabolic, fluid and electrolyte balance fails, resulting in uremia which render the patient to depend up on hemodialysis for the maintenance of the internal milieu and to avoid uremia. In recent times, awareness about chronic kidney disease and its burden on the society is on the rise.

About Imprimis (www.imprimispr.com ; Twitter: @imprimispr)
Imprimis, a part of the Perfect Relations Group, has gained a stronghold in the healthcare and pharma space over the last decade, working with a slew of domestic and international pharma majors to fulfill their reputation management needs. In recent years, Imprimis has expanded its portfolio to include clients from the education, IT/Telecom and retail verticals too. The skills and expertise that Imprimis has developed over the years have put it in a unique position to support any sector.

Imprimis Research & Advocacy, a specialist research arm of Imprimis, is involved in developing focused analytical methods to provide business/market intelligence across various industry sectors. It is equipped with phenomenal in-house expertise, a pan-India network and well-entrenched meaningful relationships with key influencers in India, including investors, industry associations, media, NGOs, consumers, policy makers and regulators.

About Sanofi  (www.sanofi.in)
Sanofi, a global, diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on the patients’ needs. It offers a wide range of essential healthcare assets, including a broad-based product portfolio and a presence worldwide. With presence in over 100 countries, with nearly 110,000 employees, Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions; human vaccines; innovative drugs; rare diseases; consumer healthcare; emerging markets; and animal health.

Sanofi researches and develop medicines and vaccines to improve the lives of the people globally. In India, Sanofi’s quality products and services are delivered by a niche team of hi-caliber professionals who adhere to the highest ethical and quality standards and work towards providing optimal healthcare solutions to ailing patients. Sanofi has a rich legacy of original research molecules across significant disease segments such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, oncology, central nervous system, consumer healthcare as well as in preventive medicines like vaccines. Sanofi stands for promotion of highly research-based and evidence-based medicines.

For further details please contact:
Neha Jindal (njindal@imprimispr.com)
Nyamat Bindra (nbindra@imprimispr.com)

Roundtable discussion on Kidney Care – March 13

Healthcare industry experts  come together to talk about issues concerning Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) organized in New Delhi by Imprimis Research & Advocacy and Sanofi India

New Delh, March 8, 2013: Continually, we see a rising number of people suffering from kidney ailments and other lifestyle related diseases. Against this backdrop, it is extremely essential to highlight the significance of kidney care as well as discuss kidney risk and disease prevention techniques. Keeping this objective in mind, on World Kidney Day -- celebrated on 14th March across the globe -- Imprimis Research and Advocacy, a specialist wing of Imprimis PR, jointly with Sanofi India, a diversified healthcare company, is organizing a roundtable discussion on 13th March 2013 with the central theme “Care for your Kidneys – Role of Prevention in Chronic Kidney Disease”. The event will be hosted as a moderated round table discussion by Archana Pandey, Director (External Affairs) Max India Ltd on the said topic.

Drug Today Medical Times is the official media partner for the upcoming event.

The event will bring key stakeholders from diverse sections of the healthcare industry on a common platform to discuss kidney disease burden; causes and symptoms; role of Pharma companies in medical innovation for Chronic Kidney Disease; laws and scenario related to kidney transplant in the country; dilemma of transplant v/s dialysis; making dialysis affordable; new trend of deceased organ donation; and role of health insurance.

The roundtable on kidney care would have a distinguished set of panelists, including: (in order of event flow)
•    Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Additional Prof. of Nephrology, AIIMS
•    Dr.  Dinesh K. Dhanwal. Director Prof. of Medicine and Endocrinologist, Maulana Azad Medical College.
•    Dr. Harsha Jauhari, Chairman, Department of Renal Transplantation, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
•    Aseem Garg, Founder and CEO, Deep Chand Dialysis Centre (DCDC)
•    Alok Khettry, Senior Director- CNS, Emerging Markets and Super Specialty Business, Sanofi India
•    Dr. Sunil Kumar Jain, Chief Pharmacist, AIIMS & VP- Indian Pharmaceutical Association, Delhi Branch
•    Sanjay Jain, Senior Advocate, High court of Delhi- Committee member of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill, 2008
•    Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, Mohan Foundation
•    Dr. S. Vijay, Claims Head, Religare Health Insurance Company Limited

This forum discuss upon the measures that can be taken to manage the disease and share insights about the treatments, diagnosis and services etc.

This forum discuss upon the measures that can be taken to manage the disease and share insights about the treatments, diagnosis and services etc.

For Live tweets follow #irtkidney and for more information visit: http://imprimispr.wix.com/roundtables

Delegate by Invitation only. Please register with:
Neha Jindal (njindal@imprimispr.com)
Nyamat Bindra (nbindra@imprimispr.com)

Educational News, Delhi, Imprimis welcomes government's move to set up Institute of Agricultural Bio-technology at Ranchis of socio-economic development

Report by India Education bureau, New Delhi: Imprimis, a leader in the life sciences communications space, has welcomed the announcement in the latest budget about establishing the Indian Institute of Agricultural Bio-technology at Ranchi, Jharkhand. The Institute will serve as a centre of excellence and give a boost to R&D in the Indian biotechnology industry. It will be a welcome change in a region which still remains largely backward socially and economically.

The setting up of the new facility is being taken as a proof of the Government’s commitment to the growth of the Indian biotechnology sector. Agricultural biotechnology is extremely important for India as the country’s current agricultural practices are not economically sustainable. It is considered a sunrise segment for the biotech industry.

Commenting on the 2013-14 budget, Dilip Cherian, Consulting Partner, Perfect Relations Group, said: “Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s eighth budget has pledged a ‘responsible’ budget and voiced eagerness to restore confidence in India’s public finances and economic management by tightening spending. It has focused on skills development and job creation and covers all sections of society. The several initiatives announced in the technology space are noteworthy.”

Nymphia Vishin, Deputy CEO, Imprimis, said: “As a life-sciences focused organization, we are happy to see the biotech sector getting its due from the government, especially since it has been contributing significantly to the country’s economic and social welfare and expanded nearly 19% in 2011-12. I hope setting up the new institute for agricultural bio-technology is the first one in a series of initiatives to be launched by the Indian government to boost the country’s biotechnology sector that has the potential to become as big as the information technology industry if provided the right enabling environment.”

 

The Indian biotechnology industry registered a double-digit growth to clock a turnover of over Rs 20,000 crores in 2011-12. It currently faces many challenges such as a lack of funding and entrepreneurial skills as well as weak intellectual property laws. The role of the government is crucial in putting together an ecosystem that gives the right growth opportunities for the Indian biotechnology industry.

Tanya Kewalramani, Chief Science Communications Officer with Imprimis, added: “We are excited by this initiative of the government which validates the crucial role that biotech will play in the agricultural sector, especially in the context of a burgeoning population. It is encouraging to see that the government has taken note of the huge potential biotechnology offers for India and has put in tangible efforts to increase its scope and reach for better outcomes. At this time, it is crucial to increase public awareness of the basic scientific concepts surrounding biotech so that we can all better appreciate innovations happening in the sector.”

In his budget speech, Finance Minister P Chidambaram highlighted the important role incubators play in mentoring new businesses. He said that funds provided to technology incubators located within academic institutions and approved by the government will qualify as CSR (corporate social responsibility) expenditure. The new Companies Bill requires companies to spend two per cent of average net profits towards CSR activities. Imprimis believes this is a positive move that will help entrepreneurs start new biotechnology businesses in the country.

"Information is any difference that makes a difference"- Research seminar by Prof Nary at PRCIMS on 4th December 2012

Market Research and Data Analysis- Seminar by PRCIMS

5th December 2012: A seminar on research hosted on the 4^th of December 2012 by PRCIMS threw some light on the importance of Market Research and Data Analysis in PR and Advertising through an informative session taken by Professor B. Narayanaswamy, aka ‘Nary’. He is a consultant at Ipsos and has over 30years of experience in the field of Market Research.

The session took us through the basic concepts of Research, its need and importance and the process of doing ‘good’ research. Like in advertising the AIDA model (Attention Interest Desire Action) forms a basis of framing advertisement objectives, similarly in PR, objectives revolve around, Knowledge(Perceptions),  Active(Dispositions) and Practice(Behavior).

Research objectives, depending on these PR objectives, are sized down to a four-letter acronym, DEEP;

Describe – Objective question: “What is happening?”

Explain – Objective question: “Why is it happening?” This according to Nary is best answered when the researchers have absolutely no clue about what is happening. It is best analyzed using the PESTLE approach (Political Economic Social Technological Legal Environmental analysis)

Evaluate – Objective question: “Which works better?”

Predict – Finding causality of observations and planning ahead

Professor Nary emphasized on the need for research in every kind of organization. He said, “Information is any difference that makes a difference”, it is not just random data out of which conclusions or hypotheses cannot be made. It is any form of minute observations that could cause a major difference for the organization.

On conclusion of the seminar, he spoke about the changing requirements of the market and consumers today and the growth of the online world. The upcoming Generation Z, which is extremely tech savvy, is a new market that needs to be constantly observed. He raised questions on how to keep a track of research. This is because, people’s mindsets, choices, preferences, technology is rapidly changing and improving, and hence needs to be constantly watched. He spoke about how blogs and social media today has become an important part and source of research today. He further highlighted the need for social CRM by companies.

He raised his concerns for India being a country with no central research organization unlike PEW in U.S. along with other organizations. All in all the session underlined the need for research everywhere, as even the slightest misinformation or lack of information can leave a company lost and aimless.

by Neha Jindal and Shelley Saha

Research & Advocacy Team

New drug policy will hurt Pharma sector- Debate is still on..

Prices of various leading drug brands will come down by up to 80 per cent thanks to the newly-approved National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy but at the same time it will hurt investment sentiments in the country's pharmaceutical sector, according to industry bodies.

According to the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) and Organisation of the Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), the new drug policy would also adversely impact profitability of Indian pharmaceutical companies.

"A preliminary working shows that prices of many leading brands will be slashed by 50 per cent to 80 per cent. This will reduce industry profit by half to Rs 4,000 crore on domestic sale of Rs 67,500 crore," IPA Secretary General D G Shah said.

This will hurt investment climate in the country and may also deter companies from investing or expanding production capacity of National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) medicines, he added.

Expressing similar views, OPPI Director General Tapan J Ray said it will have an "immediate and significant adverse financial impact on the industry".

Ray, however, said the market-based pricing is "directionally prudent" for the country in the longer term.

"It will help improving both affordability and availability of medicines. Such a policy along with the government initiative to make essential medicines available free of cost through public hospitals and health centres will benefit all sections of the society, giving a boost to overall consumption of medicines in our country," Ray added.

The drug policy, which has been cleared by the Cabinet on November 22, will bring 348 essential drugs under price control.

At present, the government through the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) controls prices of 74 bulk drugs and their formulations.

According to the approved policy, prices of medicines will be capped by taking simple average of all brands which have more than one per cent of market share instead of input costs.

Meanwhile, non-profit organisation Jan Swasthya Abhiyaan (JSA), which has been demanding that ceiling prices of drugs must be calculated on the basis of actual manufacturing costs, said the policy would lead to only "tokenish reduction" in the prices of essential drugs.

"This decision would more or less legitimise the current exorbitantly high prices of essential medicines; there will be only tokenish reduction in their prices," JSA Joint Convener Amit Sengupta said.

This view was countered by Lupin Ltd Group President Shakti Chakraborty, who said the government's decision to adopt market-based mechanism instead of cost-based mechanism is a win-win situation for both the patients and industry.

"It is a good thing that the government has chosen to adopt a market-based mechanism as against a cost-based mechanism, thus protecting industry interest to a large extent as also ensuring that drugs reach patients in a cost-effective manner," Chakraborty said.

Commenting on the policy, Deloitte Director, Strategy & Operations, Anjan Sen said the impact of the new policy will vary for different stakeholders.

"Now there is clarity on which way this will go. Accordingly, companies can modify their strategies and focus on appropriate areas to minimise the impact," he said.

He added that it may not be easy in the short term, but with well thought out strategies large part of the impact can be negated in the medium to long term.

Source: Financial Express

Pharma exports to touch $ 25 bn by 2014-15

 

Amid global economic concerns, the pharma exports are expected to reach $ 25 billion by 2014-15, a senior government official said today.

India is one of the top five generic drugs exporters, and maintains a positive trade balance, meeting over 90 per cent of the country's requirements, said Rajeev Kher, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, at a convention here.

The country's pharma sector is growing at a 17 per cent CAGR for the past four years and has already touched $ 17 billion till October this year.

"Indian pharma exports are headed for a very healthy growth in generic and API exports and efforts are on to improve the foothold of traditional medicine exports," Kher said.

"Pharma exports by the end of 2014-15 are expected to reach $ 25 billion. The Indian pharma industry is also covering a lot of ground in bio pharmaceuticals at a rapid pace," he said.

Kher said that generic market segment is increasing worldwide faster than branded drug segment. "The market size of drugs losing patent protection was $ 270 billion in 2011 and is expected to go to $ 430 billion by 2016."

He further said the domestic industry is gearing up in a big way, with more and more people likely to be covered by various health benefit policies.

About improving the competitiveness, Kher said, "Industry is expected to take advantage of opportunities like contract research and contract manufacturing, and opening up of generic market opportunities in countries such as Japan, Spain, China, CIS etc."

The challenges before the Indian Pharma industry include EU's new directive on falsified medicines, USFDA's increased cost of operations and China's non-tariff barriers, he said, adding that to mitigate them, the government will carry forward Brand India Pharma campaign, launched recently.

Source: ET (21.11.12)

FDI in multi-brand retail can strengthen supply chain

Discussing strengthening of supply chain logistic

India is the world’s largest producer of fruits and vegetables, has the largest area under wheat, rice and cotton and is the second-largest producer of rice and wheat. That is the good news. But, at the other end of the spectrum, India loses about Rs 50,000 crore annually on account of frail post-harvest infrastructure.

A major scoop of these farm losses can be traced to a feeble supply chain system that includes storage, transportation and distribution. Inadequate warehouses and cold storages and poor road and rail transportation are some of the red flags in the Indian logistics landscape.

Different studies have indicated that the logistics industry in India is valued at about 13-14 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), while in developed nations, especially in the US, it ranges between seven to eight per cent of their GDPs. This is a clear indication that Indian consumers are forced to pay avoidable costs for more logistics expenses and post-harvest losses.

Infrastructure development
The Government’s initiative to allow 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail has been a subject for debate for quite some time now. The Government appears to be confident of drumming up enough support to counter the opposition’s move to block it in the ensuing winter session of Parliament that begins next week. A minimum investment of $100 million and a mandatory 50 per cent capital reinvestment in back-end operations have been proposed.

Experts indicate that this could beef up the existing logistics infrastructure to a significant extent, which could translate into better prices for farmers and consumers. However, there is one rider. Retailers feel that unless there is a seamless implementation of this programme across states, a robust supply chain architecture cannot be built. If some states chose not to open up FDI in their retail sectors, there would be a break in the chain.

Organised food retailing in India still accounts for less than two per cent of the total food market, according to a recent study by Nabard. Estimates indicate that the size of this segment is Rs 19,400 crore, as against the total food market of Rs 12,45,000 crore. By 2020, this segment is estimated to grow to Rs 62,000 crore, the study points out. Indeed, direct procurement by retailers in the new format is seen to deliver better deals, both for the farmers and producers, especially due to improvements in supply chain operations.

In a paper presented during a recent Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) seminar, Sunitha Raju from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, points out that direct procurement format resulted in an increase in farmers’ net income by eight per cent, while consumers paid six per cent less and transportation wastage fell by seven per cent. This could further improve if supply chain logistics is strengthened.

Warehousing issues
Inadequate warehousing is one of the biggest bottlenecks in the entire supply chain structure. Statistics show that at 108 million tonnes (MT), the present agriculture warehousing capacity is short of the requirement by about 25 MT. A major portion of this is with Food Corporation of India (32 MT), Central Warehousing Corporation (10 MT) and State Warehousing Corporation (21.30 MT). The fact that the Government needs to further incentivise this sector to attract private players is indicated by the fact that in the last ten years hardly 35 million tonnes capacity has been created by the private sector.
In this context, the Andhra Pradesh Government has taken an initiative to bring out a separate agri-warehousing policy. “The new policy is part of the State Government’s initiative to have an additional 50 lakh million tonnes of warehousing capacity in the next three to four years through public-private participation. We expect to finalise it in the next one or two months,” I.Y.R Krishna Rao, Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture Marketing), said.

CII estimates that the shortfall in warehousing capacity for the next five years is expected to be about 40 million tonnes at current rate of production. However, the Government is targeting to create about 35 million tonnes of new capacity in the next five years, involving an investment of Rs 14,390 crore. The shortfall is even more acute for cold storage facilities. There are an estimated 5,400 cold storages with a total capacity of about 25 million tonnes. Nearly 80 per cent of this is used for potatoes. Further, these are available in only nine per cent of the markets. It is estimated that to expand cold chain facilities to handle 40 per cent of the food and vegetables in the next five to six years would require an investment of a whopping Rs 55,000 crore.

Higher costs & wastage
Another bottleneck is that the quality of warehousing operations is poor, leading to more costs and wastages. A study by Delloite puts warehousing costs at 20-25 per cent of the total logistics costs,while 80 per cent of the warehouses are traditional with sizes of less than 10,000 sq ft. Apart from the farm sector, the Indian life sciences segment too is smarting under inadequate logistics backing, especially in regard to reefer transportation.

A study by Deutsche Post DHL and the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India last year had revealed that the time taken for a hypothetical one-way trip covering 300 km in India was between 24 to 36 hours. But the same in China would take less than 18 hours and in EU between 8 to 10 hours. While trucks in India log an average of 200 kms a day, those in China and Japan cover 600 kms and 800 kms, respectively. Thus, while the FDI in retail is expected to see some more debate in the ensuing Parliament session, its positive impact on supply chain logistics cannot be ignored.


Source:

Business Line : Today's Paper / LOGISTICS : FDI in multi-brand retail can strengthen supply chain

Research Report on ‘Indian Immunization Programme’ released on Children’s Day

Crucial issues in immunization coverage across India and the way forward

are highlighted in the study

New Delhi, 14th November 2012:  Commemorating Children’s Day, Imprimis Research and Advocacy, a specialist wing of Imprimis PR, has released ‘Indian Immunization Programme – A Literature Review’ (http://www.imprimispr.com/indian-immunization-programme-nov2012.pdf) to highlight the key challenges affecting universal vaccination for kids in the country and provide a plan of action for improvement in the future.  

The report provides insights into the vast literature pertaining to vaccination under one cover, presenting a fresh perspective on the Indian immunization programme. The report shares the lessons, challenges and solutions to reach the desired goal of the Universal Immunization Programme.

Providing the need for such a report, Mr Aman Gupta, CEO, Imprimis PR Pvt Ltd, said: “Vaccines are a crucial and economically the most viable instrument for any country to manage its disease burden. All-inclusive immunization is a basic step towards a healthy nation. This study breaks new ground in identifying strategic action plans to increase the immunization coverage in India.”

Imprimis Research and Advocacy develops focused analytical methods to provide business/market intelligence knowledge across various industry sectors. Besides expertise in the healthcare sector as well as strategic research and advocacy consultancy, it also bring to the table product-focused communication approach for other sectors that it specializes in -- be it Retail, Healthcare and Pharma, Education or Information and Communications Technology.

Underlining the capabilities of research services, Ms Neha Jindal, Research Lead, Imprimis Research and Advocacy, said: “Research Advocacy is a systematic search for an answer to a given question. With our PAN-India wide network and unique research techniques, we have the ability to comprehend issues and design customized research solutions.”

Report Highlights- Main strategies to increase immunization coverage:

• Improving access of large populations in rural areas and socially-weaker sections in urban areas
• Educating people about benefits of immunization in preventing illness, disability and death
• Increasing awareness about available immunization services in both urban and rural areas
• Expanding vaccine delivery system and cold chain equipments such as voltage stabilizers and vaccine carriers
• Developing transportation, supply chain logistics, service delivery data and records for reporting mechanism
• Drafting state-specific action and micro plans identifying objective, strategy, expected output and budget for the activity -- to facilitate achievements of state-level immunization coverage parity in India.

For further information, please contact:

Neha Jindal: njindal@imprimispr.com