Key challenges post COVID is good access to health and healthcare services: WEF
The key challenge post-COVID-19 is access to health and healthcare services. There is some relaxation on investments and both public and private healthcare investments have to be encouraged says Shyam Bishen, the head of health and healthcare at the World Economic Forum.
The key challenge post-COVID-19 is access to health and healthcare services. There is some relaxation on investments and both public and private healthcare investments have to be encouraged, says Shyam Bishen, the head of health and healthcare at the World Economic Forum.
Talking to CNBC-TV18 on the sidelines of the BioAsia 2023 Conference, Bishen spoke about the key challenges facing the healthcare industry post-COVID-19.
One of the biggest challenges that the healthcare sector is facing is the need for good access to health and healthcare services. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of having a robust healthcare infrastructure that is accessible to all. However, many people are pulling back in terms of investments in the healthcare sector. This is a worrying trend as we need more investments to build and maintain a strong healthcare infrastructure.
Fortunately, there is some relaxation on investments, and we have to encourage both public and private healthcare.
Innovation is key to the success of the healthcare sector, and we saw how important it was during the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of mRNA and other technologies has been leveraged for other diseases, and it is important to ensure that innovation is taking place in low and middle-income countries as well.
There needs to be enough impetus on innovation post-COVID-19. The pandemic showed us how we can collaborate on a global stage to combat a common enemy. It is essential to continue this collaboration to address the challenges facing the healthcare industry. We need to make sure that we are all working towards the same goal of ensuring access to good health and healthcare services for everyone.
There are 20 crore doses that currently remain in inventory when it comes to Biological E's COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax says Mahima Dalta.
According to Datla, Biological E produced 30 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as per obligations with the government. Of these, 10 crore doses have been supplied, and the vaccine was used between 12 to 14 years of age. A study was conducted on the COVID-19 vaccine being used as a booster, and the remaining 20 crore vaccines remain in inventory.
Biological E continues to work with the government to determine the deployment of the 20 crore vaccines. Currently, coverage for the third dose is a little over 30 percent and no one below the age of 12 has received any COVID-19 vaccine.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Biological E has been continuing to make investments and has a robust pipeline of vaccines. The pneumococcal vaccine received approval in India, and other vaccines, such as Hepatitis A, are in the pipeline.
Datla also noted that Biological E continues to rely on internal accruals and debt and will explore opportunities for access to capital. The company is not looking at divesting stake at the moment, as remaining private gives them flexibility. The company has no listing plans at the moment.
(Edited by : Pradeep John)
First Published: Mar 13, 2023 10:12 PM IST
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