Technology is reshaping how we engage with healthcare. While it’s easy to assume that tech advancements automatically translate into health equity (the right of every individual to live as healthily as possible), it goes beyond access to healthcare services. Making health equity a reality involves recognising how class, caste, gender, and environmental exposure shape health outcomes long before someone enters a clinic.
India’s urban mobile phone penetration stands at 125%; however, rural penetration is only 58.8%*. The digital divide is stark, spanning device ownership, internet access, and digital literacy. This raises a critical question: will technology bridge healthcare gaps, or risk widening them further?
To unpack this complexity, Rathish Balakrishnan is joined by Dr K. Srinath Reddy (Cardiologist, Founder and former President, Public Health Foundation of India, and recipient of Padma Bhushan, 2005) to explore the nuanced intersection of health equity and technology.
Key topics discussed:
- What does health equity truly mean?
- New challenges our health system is facing
- Building state capacity for quality care
- What’s next in health-tech?
- Why contextual health data matters
- The risks of technology in healthcare
- How do we design an equitable health system using technology?
- Digital Public Infrastructure and health
- AI in healthcare: pros and cons
- Financing health equity
