http://www.biospectrumindia.com | August 2017 | BioSpectrum l POLICY AND REGULATORY NEWS^11
Stressing upon maintaining quality
in service delivery of family planning
products, the Health Ministry
has launched a slew of initiatives,
including injectable contraceptives,
in the public health system.
Deoxy medroxyprogestrone
acetate injections will be able to
prevent pregnancy for three months
and will be available among other
alternatives to prevent pregnancy.
To bring down the Total
Fertility Rate (TFR), the ministry
has launched ‘Mission Parivar
Vikas’ with a stratified approach for
substantially increasing access to
contraceptives and family planning
services in the country. The launch
was conducted on World Population
Day, observed on July 11 every
year, to raise awareness of global
population issues.
The ministry has identified
146 high fertility districts, where
the TFR is 3 and above, spanning
across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and
Assam. With around 28 per cent of
the total population in India, these
districts contribute to around 30
per cent maternal deaths and 50
per cent infant deaths.
The government has expanded
the basket of choices under family
planning, which now include
injectable contraceptives under
a programme named Antara,
followed by Progesterone pills and
centchroman pills. According to
experts, currently only 6 per cent of
the health ministry’s budget is spent
on family planning, which is not
enough.Uttarakhand will open wellness clinics across all districts for treatment of
non-communicable diseases like cancer and diabetes. In the first phase,
clinics will open in Dehradun, Rudrapur and Uttarkashi district hospitals
under the aegis of the health department’s national health programme.
Medical experts will be deployed
to assist patients in these
specialised centres and records
of patients would be maintained
to ensure follow ups.
In the second phase, such
clinics will be opened in
government hospitals where
patients above 30 years will be
screened for non-communicable
diseases. The health department
will open such facilities at primary level healthcare centres too and critical
patients would be referred to higher centres.
The health department has no record of cancer patients in the state
after which DG health had directed all private hospitals to provide patients’
data to the health department.
DBT initiates
‘Innovate in India’
programme for
biopharmaceutical
sector
A collaborative mission
between industry and
academia to accelerate
discovery research for
the early development of
biopharmaceuticals, this
$ 250 million Department
of Biotechnology (DBT)
programme is a unique
mission that brings together
industry and academia to
promote entrepreneurship and
Indigenous manufacturing
in the biopharmaceutical
sector. This collaborative
mission between industry
and academia is expected
to change the game for the
Indian biopharma industry.
The flagship programme of
the DBT, in collaboration
with the World Bank, will
be implemented by the
Biotechnology Industry
Research Assistance Council
(BIRAC) of the DBT. The
programme will specifically
focus on the development of
new vaccines, bio-therapeutics,
diagnostics and medical
devices to better address the
growing burden of disease in
the country. It will also bring
together isolated centers of
excellence, improve regional
capacities and strengthen
the existing network of bio-
clusters in terms of capacity as
well as quantity and quality of
production. Currently, India
has only 2.8 per cent share in
the global biopharmaceutical
market, the programme
would elevate this to 5 per
cent resulting in an additional
business opportunity of $
billion.Government launches injectable
contraceptives for population control
Uttarakhand to open wellness clinics