BioVoice News June 2017 Issue 1 Volume 2 | Page 35

the plans set out by the government. Novartis is part of a World Economic Forum initiative on leapfrogging in health. I really do believe that emerging economies can leapfrog over countries in Europe and North America to find new ways to deliver quality healthcare. And I am convinced that India has the ambition to do exactly that. Which are the areas of healthcare in India that Novartis Access will be focusing upon with immediate priority? The focus of Novartis Access on NCDs does not mean that we will neglect infectious diseases. Our Malaria Initiative, for example, is still going strong. We are very proud of the work we have done with malaria, delivering more than 800 million treatments since 2001, and currently leading two of the world’s most advanced malarial medicine development program. In India, where one in seven people are at risk of contracting malaria, this is of paramount importance, as many of those afflicted will be from rural areas – the exact areas Novartis is trying to target through our Social Business programs. UHC is not a “one-size-fits- all” approach and models that work in Europe or the US