BERLIN: India can play a greater role in shaping healthcare delivery and innovation, including by developing approaches that can be adapted for other countries, Daniella Foster, Bayer’s Head of Public Affairs, Market Access, and Sustainability, Consumer Health, said.
Speaking to The Global Envoy’s Rohan Dua on the sidelines of the World Health Summit in Berlin, Foster said greater collaboration between countries and companies was essential to building more accessible healthcare systems and strengthening preventive care.
“I think we need collaboration. I think we need learnings,” she said, calling for a shift from systems focused on treating illness towards those that prioritise prevention and early intervention.
Foster said India could contribute by developing national healthcare plans and translating them into state-level programmes that reach people in remote and underserved communities.
“There is a role, for example, for India to play in leading around how the health systems are set up,” she said.
She said Bayer was conducting research and development in India for domestic needs, with some of that work also being used in other countries. Private-sector participation could provide not only financing but also scientific expertise, innovation and research capabilities, she added.
Foster said Bayer expected to strengthen its focus on existing consumer-health categories, including non-communicable diseases and women’s health, while pursuing innovation in areas where its scientific capabilities could support growth.
The company’s consumer-health portfolio includes Saridon, a pain-relief brand in India. Bayer’s broader women’s-health portfolio includes Yasmin, an oral contraceptive. These brands illustrate the company’s presence in established consumer and women’s-health categories, although Foster did not specifically discuss Yasmin or announce any new product plans for either brand during the interview.
She said Bayer would continue to look at innovation and ways to improve access to products, drawing on its history in pain relief and contraception.
Foster also highlighted the importance of vitamins and minerals, over-the-counter products and preventive healthcare in addressing nutrient gaps and other health needs.
Asked about opportunities for greater collaboration across India, Europe and the Americas, she said countries could learn from one another and strengthen preventive healthcare.
The discussions came as healthcare systems face pressure to improve affordability, reach underserved populations and address the burden of non-communicable diseases.
