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the Indian population.

AstraZeneca is committed to addressing these challenges through a multi-faceted approach. We strive to enhance accessibility by expanding our patient assistance programmes and leveraging partnerships with local healthcare organisations. These initiatives seek to close the accessibility gap between patients and the medicines they require, particularly for individuals impacted from uncommon diseases.

We continuously invest in research and development to advance scientific knowledge and develop innovative therapies for rare diseases. By expanding our portfolio in this area, we aim to address unmet medical needs and provide new treatment options for patients.

We actively collaborate with healthcare professionals, researchers, and academic institutions in India to drive clinical trials and research activities with a focus on rare diseases. In addition to these efforts we recognise the importance of digital health technologies in improving healthcare access, particularly in remote areas. AstraZeneca is exploring partnerships and initiatives that leverage technology to enhance patient monitoring, remote consultations, and access to medical information, ultimately making healthcare more accessible and convenient for all.

Ultimately, we want to make sure that every patient can get the healthcare they require, regardless of socioeconomic status or the rarity of their illness.We remain committed to working with important stakeholders, funding research, and implementing initiatives that drive affordability, accessibility, and equity in healthcare for the Indian population.

How does the company plan to partner with the Government of India to tackle public health pain points?

AstraZeneca is committed to working closely with the Government of India to address issues related to public health and improve access to care. We recognise the importance of publicprivate partnerships in achieving sustainable healthcare solutions and building resilient healthcare systems and actively seek opportunities to collaborate on various initiatives related to access to care, innovation, upskilling and environment sustainability. Our collaborations with ISHIC (India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre), ‘Skill For Scale’, an e-learning initiative that focused on upskilling primary care providers to equip them with hands on practical training to bridge the knowledge gap that exists in the management of NCDs. At the community level, we have designed programmes that complement government agenda of building mass scale awareness on diseases especially cancer. Through our Ganga Godavari Programme, we have thus far touched more than 12,000 women and tested them for oral, breast and cervical cancer in many states of the country. Once identified atrisk or positive, beneficiaries are directed to nearest government facilities for further analysis and treatment direction.

AstraZeneca recognises the importance of empowering youth with disease knowledge so that they can make informed decisions about their health. Through our Youth Health Programme (YHP), we are working with adolescents to guide them about the illeffects of tobacco and alcohol so that we can raise awareness about various health issues