Health technology has become as vital to our well-being as the pen has been to the written word.

The true potential of healthcare technology can only be realized if everyone who needs it has access to it. The true value of these innovations is their potential to promote health equity by ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, can access the benefits of progress and the resources needed to achieve their best possible health. The right to health includes four essential, interrelated elements: availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality. 

Dissecting the Four Pillars of Healthcare      

As we strive for this future healthtech solutions are emerging as powerful tools to address these fundamental principles of healthcare equity. These solutions break cycles of neglect and illness that disproportionately affect low-income populations. Unique needs and challenges of underserved communities can be better met, alongside making sure that roads that lead to preventive care, health education and early intervention are built.    

Expanding Reach alongside Results

Efforts to make quality healthcare available at the grassroots level have resulted in the development of community-based healthcare centers that engage and train local healthcare workers and residents in the design and implementation of health services. It’s about bringing sustainability, a need that can only be met by building knowledge and infrastructure through local tools and insights.

The creation of health posts is another strategy that can bring opportunities of better care for those living in remote, rural areas, where the nearest healthcare facility could be hours or even days away. The time and expense required to make such a journey often proves prohibitive, particularly for low-income families who can't afford to lose a day's wages and don't have ready access to transportation. This physical toll of traveling long distances could be significant, especially for the elderly, those with disabilities, or pregnant women, discouraging people from seeking even basic screenings and preventive care. Health posts make it easier to access care without worrying about logistical barriers, reducing potential future health crises.

Another promising development is the rise of rapid diagnostics. These tools can quickly and accurately diagnose a wide range of health conditions. Unlike traditional diagnostic methods, which can often take days or even weeks to produce results, rapid diagnostics aim to provide individuals with quick, reliable, lab-quality results. Additionally, the data generated by these rapid diagnostic tools can be compiled into data banks, enabling researchers and policymakers to identify regions that require additional resources and support. This data-driven approach can help optimize resource allocation and ensure that healthcare interventions are targeted to the areas of greatest need.

As a result of prioritizing speed and efficiency, rapid diagnostic tools now have the potential to transform healthcare delivery, allowing healthcare providers to initiate timely treatment and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.  The rapid COVID-19 antigen tests have been used more than 300 million times in over 140 countries, across airports, schools, and government offices, to rein in the global pandemic. Similarly, rapid malaria tests have played a critical role in supporting the malaria elimination initiative in Odisha. From mobile clinics to community-based screening programs these tests can be employed to deliver quick, accurate and actionable results, to broaden the scale of testing and help curb the spread of infection.