Patna: Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) on Monday organised a one-day workshop on “Equitable Healthcare and Education: Access, Equity, and the Last Mile”, bringing together researchers, policymakers and government officials to discuss challenges in public health and social development in Bihar.
The workshop focused on issues including:
- healthcare access
- nutrition and cognitive development
- digital inclusion
- disease surveillance
- last-mile delivery of welfare services
Researchers Highlight Importance Of Early Childhood Nutrition
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Santosh Kr. Gautam of the University of Notre Dame said economic prosperity was closely linked to labour productivity, which in turn depended on cognitive development during early childhood.
He noted that:
- adequate nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life was critical for long-term cognitive development
- the third trimester of pregnancy was especially important for maternal nutrition
- nearly 50% of children below five years of age in Bihar were anaemic
Gautam also referred to an ongoing pilot project in Nalanda district in which children are being provided with multi-nutrient Wheatamix powder aimed at improving cognitive development outcomes.
He said the findings of the study were expected within the next two years.
Bihar Government Highlights Technology-Driven Governance
Bihar Minister of IT and Urban Development & Housing Nitish Mishra said the state government was increasingly using information technology to improve public service delivery.
He added that efforts were also underway to reduce the digital divide between rural and urban areas.
Kumar Ravi, Secretary, Health Department, said the government was working with the private sector to improve healthcare access across the state.
Meanwhile, Shashank Shekhar Sinha, CEO of Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti, discussed the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in Bihar with technical support from ADRI.
Experts Stress Need For Continued Social Development
Dr. Devendra Khandait of the Gates Foundation said Bihar had made notable progress in the health sector, though several challenges still remained.
- R. Srinivasa, Additional Chief Secretary, Social Welfare Department, remarked that the condition of children in Bihar remained a serious concern despite improvements in infrastructure.
Opening the session, Ashmita Gupta, Member-Secretary of ADRI, said Bihar was currently at an “inflection point” in development.
She said that while the state had made progress in:
- roads
- electricity
- schools
- healthcare infrastructure
the next phase would require stronger focus on human development and technology-enabled governance.
ADRI Presents Research On Last-Mile Healthcare Delivery
Faculty members from ADRI presented research findings related to:
- disease surveillance
- digitisation in healthcare
- citizen engagement
- immunisation access
- healthcare delivery in remote regions
According to organisers, around 125 scholars, researchers and policymakers participated in the workshop.
