The pharmaceutical industry has seen remarkable contributions from our colleagues from India, and a large part of our Academy community either live and work in India, or are from there and have since relocated internationally. Additionally, India is set to become the world’s most populous country in 2023.1 As such, we are thrilled to share this editorial from the Lancet which celebrates a significant anniversary of the country, its 75th year of independence from British rule.

“India is poised to become the world’s most populous country during 2023. The demographic dividend has resulted in an expanded young population, but fertility is now stabilizing. As a result, India has an opportunity, for a limited period, to reap the potential benefits. To capitalize requires investment in the health and well-being of its people. The Government must do more than appeal to nationalistic interests and rely on eye-catching health care policies without any accountability for their effectiveness. It must safeguard the right to health and quality health care for all its citizens. It must move from a curative approach to health to a preventive one. It must embrace, and not fear, the role of civil society. It must invest in young people so that they can participate fully in the economy and society. It must ensure that social safety nets are there for those who need them. It must address the social, political, commercial, and cultural determinants of health. And it must recognize that unless every Indian, irrespective of gender, caste, class, religion, or region, can realize their full potential, enabled, and supported by the state, any aspiration of becoming a truly global power will remain a mirage.”1

You can read the full editorial here.

References

  1. The Lancet. (2022c, August). India at 75 years: progress, challenges, and opportunities. The Lancet, 400(10351), 469. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(22)01525-2

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