Institute of Public Health Bengaluru

The Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru (IPH Bengaluru) is a non-profit academic research institution based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. It focuses on strengthening health systems through research, education, and policy engagement, aiming to create an equitable, integrated, decentralized, and participatory health system within a just and empowered society.^[1] They are recognised as a scientific research organisation by the department of science and technology of the Indian government. Their areas of work and action include commercial determinants of health,^[2] tribal health,^[3][4] health policy and systems research.^[5][6]

Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru

Abbreviation	IPH Bengaluru or IPH Bangalore
Formation	30 August 2005
Type	Non-profit academic institution
Headquarters	Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Location	3009, II-A Main, 17th Cross, KR Road, Siddanna Layout, Banashankari Stage II, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560070
Region served	India
Website	iphindia.org

History

IPH Bengaluru was founded by Narayanan Devadasan and colleagues on 30 August 2005 and registered as a non-profit society. As the founder-Director, Devadasan was instrumental in steering the IPH Bengaluru through its formative years. Since 2018, IPH Bengaluru has institutionalised a rotating system of leadership with four-year tenure for the Directors.^[7]

Research and action

IPH Bengaluru conducts research to strengthen the Indian health system by generating evidence on effective interventions. Its research areas include chronic health conditions and public policies, health services, health equity, and health financing with a focus on primary health care and universal health coverage. The institute uses various health policy and systems research^[5] such as health in all policies,^[8][9] participatory action research,^[4][10] and theory-driven inquiries and realist evaluation.^[11][12]

Tobacco control

The Institute has been active in conducting research on implementation of tobacco control laws and studying tobacco industry interference in Karnataka and other states, using judicial action^[13] as needed to achieve this.^[14][15] Their research has examined the tobacco industry's potential tax avoidance and tactics in avoiding compliance with laws requiring pictorial warnings.^[16]

Tribal health initiatives

In June 2022, a community-based research centre on tribal health was launched in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, with support from the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance,^[17][18] building on an earlier initiative to use participatory action research to work with the Adivasi communities in the district.^[19][20] The initiative, known as the Center for Training, Research and Innovation on Tribal Health is a collaboration between IPH Bengaluru with J S S Medical College (Mysore), and the Indian Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru/Public Health Foundation of India. It aims to address health disparities among Adivasi communities, focusing on genetic diseases, hemoglobinopathies,^[21] and barriers to accessing healthcare. Local implementation is carried out with the participation of the Jilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivruddhi Sangha, a collective representing the Solega Adivasi community.^[4] To bridge cultural and systemic barriers,^[22][23] IPH Bengaluru has supported the development of the Tribal Health Navigator program in Chamarajanagar. This initiative recruits and trains individuals from Adivasi communities who have a background in nursing or community health to assist tribal patients in navigating government hospitals. These health navigators help improve communication, trust, and treatment adherence. The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department has announced plans to expand this initiative to other districts.^[3] IPH Bengaluru has also contributed to developing the Realist Implementation Action Lab (RIAL) model, which supports embedded and participatory research with Adivasi communities in BR Hills and Chamarajanagar.^[4] This approach is grounded in realist methodology, focusing on how context influences the success or failure of health system interventions. It brings together government, civil society, and tribal governance institutions in sustained co-learning processes.^[4]

Policy engagement

IPH Bengaluru engages in policy and system-level changes by collaborating with stakeholders at various levels. The institute co-organizes a national conference series on bringing evidence into public health policy. The fourth edition of the Evidence into Public Health Policy (EPHP) conference in September 2024, held at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, focused on health governance, policy, and institutional frameworks for just and sustainable health systems and brought together over 200 participants, including researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.^[6]

Collaborations and partnerships

IPH Bengaluru collaborates with various organizations for research and policy initiatives including the Indian Council of Medical Research,^[24] various state governments, the WHO Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research and Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp.^[7] The institute has received support from various philanthropic and CSR organisations which have recognized the efforts in bringing academic rigor to health interventions and striving for policy-level changes through a rights-based approach to health.^[25]

Awards and recognition

In 2022, researchers from the Institute were recognised by Deccan Herald as part of their annual Changemakers initiative, for their contributions to supporting COVID-19 response in Chamarajanagar district, especially among Adivasi populations.^[26] They were also awarded the Triloki Nath Khoshoo Memorial Award by Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment for contributions to the COVID-19 response in Karnataka.^[27]

See also

• Public Health Foundation of India
• National Centre for Disease Control (India)
• National Tuberculosis Institute