When policy talks of shifting from selective to comprehensive primary care, it is largely referring to a few non-communicable diseases (NCDs). But the earlier package of selective primary care was restricted to less than one fifth of all infections. That package never did address the majority of fevers, and even now the transition to comprehensive primary health care, under the Ayushman Bharat’s Health and Wellness Centres (AB_HWCs) underplays this. In this conversation, we discuss the persisting problem of undifferentiated fevers that primary care providers face and talk about how health systems should be strengthened to close this gap.
2026
This conversation explores the many dimensions of public health decision making with respect to the recently announced national programme for HPV vaccination for all girls at the age of 14.
As the population ages and almost every household has persons requiring daily medication for chronic illness, the rising price of medicines has become one of the biggest financial burdens for the majority of the population. In this conversation we examine and reflect on the existing policy framework with regard to providing affordable access to medicines.. and what govts need to do better, much better.
To no one’s surprise India did not achieve its own targets for ending tuberculosis by year 2025. But did such an aspirational target even help accelerate progress? In this conversation a sober review of the modest pace of progress highlights the need to re-think many of the strategies deployed. While technology may help, there is no short-cut to the core principles of tuberculosis control- action on social determinants and better, less selective and more comprehensive primary health care.