Health Research

The Expenditure Reforms Committee chose Karuna Trust (KT) to undertake a review study of the programs & schemes implemented by the departments of Health & Family Welfare, ISM and Drug Control to help improve their efficacy and efficiency. The study also reviews the scope for consolidation of smaller schemes, institutional mechanisms for program implementation and service delivery, explores areas for adoption of new technology to increase efficiency in functioning, measures for optimizing staff strength of departments and staff skill-upgradation through training. The study includes review of major schemes covered under the departments’ budgetary outlays and examines whether connected expenses are aligned to the mandates of the respective departments.

KT, with support from Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership, India, .has undertaken a study to understand the use of antibiotics in rural India, frequency of dispensation, mode of dispensation and the relationship between prescription and antibiotics dispensed. Periodic exit interviews with patients as well as questionnaire-based data are collected by experienced data collectors at multiple antibiotic dispensation points – PHCs, hospitals and private retail pharmacies.

The Pan Asia Collaboration for Evidence-Based e-Health Adoption & Application (PANACeA), established in August 2007, is a network to support research ideas for adoption of e-health in Asian developing countries. Under the project, which was funded by the International Development Research Centre (AMT), KT was responsible for data collection and analysis of e-health applications in PHCs to determine improved health outcomes at the level of primary health care. Through the study, KT also hoped to address concerns in PHCs in the areas of tele-health and HMIS for improved PHC management. A special part of the study also sought to develop a deeper understanding of the health issues faced by visually challenged individuals and assess the value of introducing e-health applications into the existing health service delivery system to benefit such groups.