Tirupati: Tech to influence healthcare in next few decades

Tirupati: The Chief scientist at the World Health Organisation (WHO), Geneva, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, felt that in the next few decades technological changes influence the health and healthcare in the society. Advances like biosensor-based point of care diagnostic methods, AI-assisted clinical reasoning support systems, telemedicine and genetically engineered phage therapy among other things are likely to be global health priorities in the next 5-10 years.

Delivering the convocation address at the 11th convocation of Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) here on Saturday, Dr Soumya said that pandemic preparedness and prevention, vaccine distribution, machine learning for antibiotic discovery, apps for disease screening, coordinated bio banking, addressing misinformation and disinformation, using real world evidence will become the immediate global health priorities for the next five years.

Saying that the pandemic has indeed created many challenges for health systems and care services across the world, she felt that it also created opportunities for fast tracking several innovations such as digital tools, telehealth and real-time data analysis for policymaking at levels not previously seen. Also, Artificial Intelligence (AI) helped to screen populations, track infections and monitor the supply and flow of critical health resources.

Genomic sequencing, gene editing and stem cell research have been increasingly advanced with the technology. Though the telemedicine was there in India even before, the pandemic has highlighted its importance as it proved to overcome geographic barriers. Dr Soumya wished the young graduates to look ahead to those advances in science and technology as they hold great promise and hope for new and improved ways to address global health.

"Unfortunately, the way we are living today with the environment, we are creating all the opportunities for more viruses to spread from the species into humans. Because of deforestation, climate change, human beings occupying the space where animals live freely, etc., are creating such opportunities for viruses to spread. Accordingly, we have to be prepared for more pandemics in the future," she commented.

Referring to the vaccines which were developed in 311 days from the detection of the virus to the first vaccine to the first vaccine that was licensed, she said that science has provided the solutions too during the Covid pandemic. It was a record as normally novel vaccine development often takes up to 15 years.

She also said that many diseases like hypertension, diabetes, cervical cancer, cardiovascular diseases etc., can be prevented which can reduce the global disease burden, by changing lifestyles and taking some precautionary vaccines. The convocation was chaired by the chairman of governing body and Chancellor YV Subba Reddy, TTD executive officer AV Dharma Reddy, SVIMS director-cum-vice chancellor Dr B Vengamma, JEO V Veerabrahmam, SVIMS Dean Dr Alladi Mohan and others.