Noted health institute in city celebrates 20 years of dedicated service

Bengaluru: The Institute of Public Health (IPH), Bengaluru, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with a landmark event, including the official launch of the T.T. Narasimhan School of Advanced Studies.

Dinesh Gundu Rao, Health Minister, Government of Karnataka, officiated the launch and underscored the critical need for a renewed focus on public health and the development of strong public health leadership.

Launching the T.T. Narasimhan School of Advanced Studies at IPH Bengaluru at Indian Institue of Sciencein the city, Rao congratulated the institute on its service for two decades in the state and said, “IPH has engaged in research on important areas in public health and contributed immensely to various areas of public health including health policy, health systems and tribal health. Although the government’s intentions are good, yet sometimes, we are not able to reach everyone, and, therefore, we appreciate partnerships with us for strengthening public health and government healthcare services.”

He also lauded the work of various other dignitaries who had gathered at the event including Dr. Srinath Reddy from Public Health Foundation of India, Dr. Latha Jagannathan from TTK-Rotary Medical Services Trust and many Indian and international public health practitioners and scholars who had gathered for the occasion.

T.T. Jagannathan, representing the T.T. Narasimhan family, expressed his family’s pride in supporting the initiative.

“Guided by TTN’s values of compassion and innovation, our family is proud to support the T.T. Narasimhan School of Advanced Studies at the Institute of Public Health. The school will nurture future leaders, empowering them to tackle the challenges of public health, strengthen health systems, and improve lives,” he said.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Prashanth N.S., Director of IPH, Bengaluru, highlighted the two-decade journey of the institute as a testament to the dedication of public health professionals and their unwavering passion.

He emphasized the crucial role of civil society organizations in collaborating with the government to improve healthcare access and strengthen health systems.

“We will continue to train a new generation of public health leaders who are not only technically competent but also deeply committed to equity and social justice,” Dr. Prashanth stated.

“We are grateful to the T.T. Narasimhan family for their support, which will enable us to build a transformative learning environment for future public health professionals,” he added.

The day-long event, held at the IISc campus, brought together leading public health professionals, dignitaries, and partners.

The programme also featured keynote talks from prominent global health leaders, including Dr. Vikram Patel, founder of Sangath and professor at Harvard Medical School (USA), Dr. Nirmala Nair, co-founder of Ekjut, Jharkhand, which is well known for participatory work with Adivasi communities in Jharkhand and other states in India, and Dr. H Sudarshan, Padmashree award-winner widely recognised for his work with Adivasi communities and rural healthcare in Karnataka.

Uma Mahadevan, Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka delivered the annual oration on her reflection as a public servant working on decentralisation, governance and healthcare.

A panel discussion also explored the pathways for nurturing public health leaders in India.

The event was chaired by the president of the IPH Bengaluru Governing Board, Dr. Arvind Kasturi, attended by public health experts from India and abroad, staff of IPH, collaborators and well-wishers.