TNI Bureau: In line with the Decolonisation movements worldwide, the School of Governance and Public Affairs (SGPA) at XIM University hosted the fourth session of the Policy Analysis and Action Series (PAAS-IV) on Saturday at its new campus in Harirajpur of Puri.
The theme of the session, “Decolonising Global Health: Implications for Health Systems and Universal Health Coverage in India”, elicited powerful insights from the speakers.
In his inaugural address, Fr Antony S Raj, the Registrar of the University and the Chairperson of the session, lauded the school for organising the session on such a novel theme.
He emphasised the need to become local in addressing complex health system issues, aligning it with the GOI’s vision of “Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
The convener and the moderator of the session, Dr Manoj Kar, Professor at the SGPA, framed current global health practices within a historical context.
The keynote speaker, Dr Niranjan Mishra, Director of Public Health, Department of Health and Family Welfare of Odisha government, offered a birds-eye view of various initiatives by the State Government towards decolonising global health and its responses on progressing achievements and opportunities for Universal Health Coverage in the State.
The thematic speaker, Dr Ravi Verma, Asia Regional Director of the International Centre for Research on Women, New Delhi, insisted that public health should be approached from a feministic perspective in solidarity with excluded and marginalised people.
The participants, especially the students, engaged in an insightful interactive session with the speakers.
Prof.Manoj Kar concluded the session by emphasising the need for a systemic, interdisciplinary and multi-sectorial, collaborative approach towards decolonising global health in India.
He emphasised on advancing Universal Health Coverage within the framework of strengthening of ‘National Health Systems locally and Evidence based Research’ with special focus on promoting Primary Health Care approaches using ‘Social Determinants of Health and Well-being’ in progressing equity in global health, nationally by 2030.