Globally, Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) account for 71% of deaths and 15 million premature deaths annually (WHO, 2018). The burden of NCDs in the Asia Pacific region followed a similar trend, with 70% of all deaths attributed to NCDs, a figure expected to rise significantly by 2030 (WHO, 2019). In India, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), and diabetes were responsible for 55% of deaths and a substantial proportion of premature mortality (WHO, 2018).

The economic burden of NCDs was equally staggering. Globally, NCDs were expected to exact a $47 trillion toll by 2030 (WHO, 2018). Likewise, India's economy faced losses of $237 billion in 2018, projected to rise to $472 billion by 2030 (WHO, 2018). Adopting innovative approaches mediated by both process and product-level interventions was crucial to combat this growing public health burden. India set a great example in harnessing emerging health technologies to address the challenges of NCDs. These covered a range of solutions, such as point-of-care screening devices, AI-enabled diagnostics, telepathology, teleradiology, teleconsultation, and newer smartphone-enabled health tracking applications.

Such technological innovations rapidly enhanced healthcare services' access, quality, and affordability. However, transitioning an innovation from lab to deployment required consideration of multiple factors such as real-world operational evidence, cost-effectiveness, fit with health systems, and regulatory approvals. Clear regulatory frameworks could reduce innovation adoption time by up to 30%, promoting the successful scaling up of health technology innovations in the region. Similarly, the experiences of field implementation pilots were important in guiding policymakers in adopting new technologies and allocating appropriate budgets for integration within health systems.

This webinar explored India's experience in deploying emerging NCD technologies. It shared lessons learned and discussed the critical barriers and enablers for scaling up. The Indian government established exemplary initiatives like Ayushman Bharat, the National Health Mission, and the Make in India program to foster innovation. However, challenges remained in defining pathways for evidence generation, procurement, and implementation of innovative health technologies in-country programs. Moreover, integrating new decentralized technologies, such as those in primary healthcare settings, required significant workflow, training, and infrastructure adaptations.

The sessions examined the Indian government's strategy for supporting the transition of innovative technologies, with a special focus on NCDs.

Session Objectives:
1. Understand how India supported health technology for NCDs.
2. Understand the lessons learned, best practices, barriers, and enablers for NCD technology adoption.
3. Discuss the Indian government's strategy for prioritizing innovative NCD technologies for primary health systems.