As its economy continues to grow and transform, India remains plagued by devastating public health threats. Tuberculosis (TB), an airborne infectious disease, is one such challenge. TB is not only a global health security risk, but it also has a widespread effect on India’s society and economy. The World Bank estimates India could lose up to 7 percent of its gross domestic product due to TB-related decreases in productivity. Currently, more than 2.7 million people in India have been diagnosed with TB, and approximately 150,000 Indians develop multidrug-resistant TB each year, requiring much more extensive—and expensive—treatment.
On November 9, 2017 the India Initiative partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the American India Foundation, Dasra, Indiaspora, and Intellecap to convene a roundtable of leading Indian-American thought leaders and organizations committed to India’s sustainable development to discuss ways in which the Indian diaspora can work together to advance the government of India’s stated goal of ending TB in India by 2025.
Speakers Nishant Pandey, CEO of the American India Foundation; Amita Vyas, founder of the Global India Fund; Amita Gupta, deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Clinical Global Health Education; Lindsay Clinton, director of Intellecap; and Irene Koek, acting assistant administrator of the Global Health Bureau at USAID shared their experiences and lessons learned working on India’s most pressing health issues, and emphasized how innovation, entrepreneurship, financing, and public-private approaches that have been successful in meeting other health challenges can be brought to bear in the fight against TB. The event concluded with a networking session featuring leading diaspora and health groups.
This event was co-sponsored by the Georgetown University India Initiative, USAID, the American India Foundation, Dasra, Indiaspora, and Intellecap.
Nishant Pandey is the CEO of the American India Foundation.
Amita Vyas is the founder of the Global India Fund, a board member of Girl Rising, and an assistant professor at George Washington University.
Amita Gupta is the deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Clinical Global Health Education.
Lindsay Clinton is the director of Intellecap.
Irene Koek is the acting assistant administrator of the Global Health Bureau at USAID.