Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)

Background

PATH is a global organization that works to accelerate health equity by bringing together public institutions, businesses, social enterprises, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing health challenges. With expertise in science, health, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales solutions-including vaccines, drugs, devices, diagnostics, and innovative approaches to strengthening health systems worldwide.

Since 1978, PATH has been working with public and private partners in India to develop local solutions, support homegrown innovation, and share our technical expertise. We are working across the country with registered offices established in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Lucknow. A few of our many successes in India include finding new methods to deliver nutritious food to school children, creating and implementing successful public-private partnership models to combat diseases, and expanding access to lifesaving vaccines for new mothers and their infants. We are currently working in various key health areas in states across India including family health, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases, neglected tropical diseases, climate change, malaria and immunization, pandemic preparedness, respiratory care management, vaccine equity and accelerating health innovations for public health impact.

PATH in Manipur

PATH has a strong working relationship in the state of Manipur, which was formalized with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government on Manipur in 2021 by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for five years. This MoU covers support areas where PATH would work with the government across public health concerns such as Tuberculosis, HIV, COVID-19, malaria, comprehensive primary health care, vaccines and immunization systems, health systems strengthening, water sanitation and hygiene, public health technologies, digital health and innovations, including social and behavior change communications.

Activities being supported

PATH also supported the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) in implementing the HIV Self-Testing in Manipur where we helped demonstrate self-testing service delivery models in the state. This project was implemented by PATH through Humsafar Trust, Solidarity and Action Against The HIV Infection in India (SAATHII), International Training & Education Centre for Health Private Limited (I-TECH), Voluntary Health Services (VHS), Society for Health Allied Research Education (SHARE India), National Coalition of PLHIV in India (NCPI+) and International Labor Organization (ILO), WHO, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National AIDS Research Institute (ICMR-NARI), and ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE) as technical partner with the support of NACO, Ministry of Health, Government of India. Additionally, the project was supported by more than community-based organizations (CBOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Manipur and across the country. Under another HIV intervention titled Project Sunshine II, PATH worked in the state to strengthen the provision of prevention services and in achieving epidemic control by implementing comprehensive activities and services across the treatment cascade among the key populations (KPs), clients and, and/or partners and biological children of KPs/PLHIV.

Current activities

PATH has been working in three districts in Manipur – Imphal East, Imphal West and Thoubal, to support the state’s effort in comprehensive primary health care since 2022 with support from Fondation Botnar. Under project ‘Reimagining Comprehensive Primary Healthcare – For Young and adolescents in India’, PATH is working to strengthen urban primary healthcare focusing on young and adolescents' healthcare issues by strengthening adolescent friendly health services through operationalization and strengthening of urban Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs), enabling forward and backward linkages to bolster continuum of care and community based platforms to empower young and adolescents. 

Contacts: Manipur Team, HSS, PATH India