INDIA
Transforming Health Care and Education in the World’s Largest Democracy
Through new and expanding partnerships, a rapidly growing network and innovative programming, ECHO India and the country’s network of ECHO partners are making significant strides toward strengthening its health care systems.
Partnerships with key ministries, universities, state government agencies and national institutions continue to be critical to the adoption and impact of ECHO across the country, including new partnerships with National Health Missions, the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, and the Nursing Division of Directorate General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
In 2023, these partners expanded mentorship and training to tens of thousands of nurses, community health workers, physicians and other frontline health professionals.
ECHO India also pioneered a nationwide program dedicated to the prevention and control of beta thalassemia and other hemoglobinopathies and expanded the Virtual Tumor Board for Enhanced Cancer Care, bringing together more than 700 oncologists from 270 cancer centers to share knowledge and expert recommendations, setting new standards for advanced oncology care in India.
Reaching Further, Faster with Critical Tuberculosis Treatment in India
Thanks to the results of a successful pilot program, ECHO India partnered with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to quickly scale the number of ECHO partners addressing tuberculosis treatment across the country.
This new tuberculosis network is focused on preventative care; slowing the spread of new cases by increasing countrywide contact tracing efforts; and disseminating best practices for difficult-to-treat cases, such as pediatric patients and patients with drug resistance.
Health care providers, including nurses and community health workers, in every state in India now have access to virtual communities of practice, telementoring with experts, and case studies that shorten patient treatment time.
One expert thought a patient had a drug-resistant case [of tuberculosis], needing yet another treatment. But someone else on our ECHO session said, ‘I think it might be something else: let’s run a CT scan.’ And it was just a cyst.
New things emerge from ECHO when we interact with each other like this.”
Dr. Ravindra Kumar Dewan
Director, National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respirator Disease, New Delhi, India
