When Maya (name changed), a 42-year-old schoolteacher in Lucknow, collapsed in her classroom from a sudden heart attack, her family was left stunned. She exercised moderately, ate home-cooked meals, and had no obvious risk factors. Streets away, her neighbour’s father, already in his seventies, found himself battling a strain of tuberculosis that no longer responded to standard medicines. These stories, once exceptions, are becoming unsettlingly common in India. They reflect the profound way in which our disease patterns are shifting and reshaping the very foundations of our healthcare system

.India’s health challenges are no longer linear. We once believed we were steadily shifting from infectious diseases to chronic, lifestyle-driven conditions, but that transition is far more complex. Infectious diseases persist even as chronic illnesses surge, while climate change and antimicrobial resistance introduce new threats. The result is a converging, multidimensional disease burden that strains the health system on multiple fronts.

What these shifts mean is clear: The response cannot be piecemeal. It requires a fundamental transformation in the way we plan, invest, and deliver healthcare.

What will it take to revolutionise healthcare?

First, healthcare must move from episodic intervention to lifelong engagement. The old model where people enter the system only when symptoms become severe is unsustainable. The transition demands a coordinated effort from government and private sectors to build infrastructure and incentives for preventive care, continuous monitoring, and digital health access — ensuring every individual remains connected to the healthcare system throughout their life.

Second, India must build an intelligence-driven health system. Predictive analytics that combine climate data, demographic trends, and disease surveillance can warn of outbreaks before they escalate. Instead of reacting to crises, India can lead in creating a system that anticipates them. A recent international study by scientists from the Institut Pasteur and Beijing Normal University identified a climate indicator — based on Indian Ocean temperature fluctuations — that can predict dengue outbreak intensity months in advance. This reliable tool is globally applicable and could significantly strengthen efforts to combat a disease that has spread steadily for decades and now threatens nearly half the world’s population.

Third, innovation must be treated as a national priority. Therapies of the future like gene therapies, immunotherapies, mRNA platforms, and AI-driven diagnostics must be integrated into India’s health system with urgency. This means speeding regulatory pathways without compromising safety, creating financing models that make advanced therapies affordable, and investing in local capacity.

Fourth, we must treat antimicrobial resistance as a national emergency. According to the World Health Organization, between 2018 and 2023, antibiotic resistance increased in over 40 per cent of monitored pathogen–antibiotic combinations, rising 5–15 per cent annually. This is not just a medical problem — it spans agriculture, animal husbandry, pharmacy practice, and public behaviour. Strict stewardship, rapid diagnostics to distinguish bacterial from viral infections, and public awareness are essential. Without these,  routine surgeries, childbirth, and even minor infections could become life-threatening within a generation. The task before us is not only about managing disease but also building the foundations of a resilient nation.

Just as commitments to defence and energy are non-negotiable for national strength, healthcare too must be recognised as essential infrastructure. Partnerships will be critical to making this vision a reality. A healthy and fit population is non-negotiable for a self-reliant India. As the country aspires to become a $5-trillion economy, the wellbeing of its citizens must form the cornerstone of that ambition.

(The writer is President, Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India, and Vice President and Managing Director, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited. Views are personal)

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Published on December 15, 2025