Warm greetings to all, specially Professor Banerjee, whose work through the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, and in academia, has positively impacted so many lives.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill around 41 million people every year, more than a third of them premature.
The four major NCDs – cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes – account for more than 80% of all premature NCD deaths, of which 85% occur in low- and middle-income countries, including in the WHO South-East Asia Region.
In March, I heard the sad news of the sudden death of one of my staff in his 40s. It was not COVID-19. He succumbed to cardiovascular disease.
A cherished colleague, and a wonderful human being. He was taken in the prime of his life. I’m sure several of you have similar stories to tell.
In India, NCDs contribute to 62% of total annual deaths, 48% of them premature. If left unaddressed, NCDs could cost India approximately US$ 3.5 trillion in economic losses by 2030.
Commendably, India is committed to meeting the global NCD 2025 and 2030 targets, which include a 25% reduction in overall mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory diseases by 2025, and a one third reduction by 2030.
To achieve these targets and more, all countries in the Region, including India, must leverage a series of “best buy” interventions that promote multisectoral action to address major NCD risk factors, such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.
In India and across the Region, we have the will and the way forward. We must now deliver.
It is for this reason that I am so pleased to be speaking today, on the Foundation Day of this august and innovative institute. My congratulations to Dr Arun Kumar Sharma on this important day.
Implementation research is vital for all countries in the Region to achieve our Flagship Priorities on preventing and controlling NCDs and achieving universal health coverage (UHC), as well as the NCD-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets.
It is through implementation research that policy makers can apply best buy interventions in a way that is context-specific and overcomes “real-world” barriers.
It is through such research that we can tailor interventions to the populations that they are intended to serve, driving real impact in the lives of the most vulnerable, leaving no one behind.
And let me be very clear: Implementation research is especially important amid the COVID-19 response and recovery.
Different communities have been differently impacted by the pandemic.
The emergence and spread of COVID-19 has exacerbated the social determinants of health, which is likely to be reflected in the outcomes that NCD interventions achieve in the diverse settings in which they have been applied.
Properly conducted implementation research, with its all-important focus on context, can help implementers foresee and anticipate problems, ensuring a recovery from COVID-19 that is healthier and more equitable, and which accelerates the NCD agenda.
Today, I want to focus on the core principle that must guide implementation research, which is the idea that “the question is key”.
Good implementation research can be both quantitative and qualitive. It can be carried out through explanatory or pragmatic trials and may engage participants in iterative processes of reflection and action.
But what all good implementation research shares is a focus on people – on if and how individuals and communities are benefitting from policies and programmes, and on if and how they could benefit more.
Implicit in this focus is ensuring that the questions researchers ask not only focus on aggregate gains, but that they focus on achieving progress among individuals and communities that are at risk of being left behind. The poor. The elderly. People who are part of ethnic minorities or who have a different sexual orientation.
To have maximum impact, implementation research must speak to the needs of such groups, and advance health equity, strengthen primary care, and accelerate progress towards UHC.
I appreciate ICMR’s commitment to these outcomes and commend the tremendous work this institute has already carried out.
In less than two years, you have recruited a remarkable team and defined your areas of action. I particularly appreciate your focus on empowering and engaging communities, and on driving multisectoral action, which is essential to mobilizing the whole-of-society buy-in required to achieve our targets and goals.
WHO will continue to support this institute in its efforts to prevent, detect, control and treat NCDs, and bring treatment to all who need it, especially the most vulnerable.
I wish you a happy and inspiring Foundation Day, and look forward to our onward journey together, towards our Flagship Priorities, the SDG targets, and a healthier, more sustainable future for all.
Thank you.