Innovation was on full display at AVPN events early February: the Undiagnosed Hackathon for India and the AVPN Health Impact Leadership Forum. Set in the health innovation hub of Hyderabad, these gatherings highlighted that cross-sector collaboration, cutting-edge technology and community centred design are critical to advancing health systems in India.
Unravelling Mysteries of the Genome at the Inaugural Undiagnosed Hackathon for India
The 4th Undiagnosed Hackathon in India was organised by Wilhelm Foundation, in partnership with AVPN, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, and the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics. This hackathon aimed to find answers and elevate awareness for people living with rare and undiagnosed diseases.
Rare diseases are not so rare in India, since an estimated 70 million people live with such conditions and 35 million are living with undiagnosed diseases. These conditions are regularly overlooked due to limited research funding, awareness, and coordinated care. The Undiagnosed Hackathon brought together international and local clinicians, AI specialists and researchers to collaboratively analyse genomic data to find answers for Indian patients living with undiagnosed diseases.
The Wilhelm Foundation has led three international Undiagnosed Hackathons, this edition was the first in India and Asia. The event occurred at the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, the premier genetics research centre in the country.
The Undiagnosed Hackathon highlighted the advantage of combining clinical experience and AI powered tools. For example, one Indian clinician who has been trying to solve a medical mystery for the past 10 years was able to do so thanks to AI powered genetic sequencing software.
Overall, this event involved 25 patients, with 7 diagnoses made. These insights will be shared with patients’ health providers to assist with disease treatment and management. Beyond diagnoses, the Hackathon aimed to build long-term diagnostic capacity in India, through training with advanced diagnostic tools and in-person relationship building among international experts.
Building ecosystem action at the AVPN Health Impact Leadership Forum
The Forum brought together policy-makers, corporates, and philanthropies to discuss health system challenges and innovation pathways in India. The event was a product of a new partnership between AVPN and the Government of Telangana which aims to collectively leverage their government, industry and philanthropy networks to scale health innovation in India. The Forum led to insightful discussions on key health system themes in the region:
- The ‘Medical Mysteries: India’s First Undiagnosed Hackathon’ session shared findings from the Undiagnosed Hackathon.
- The ‘Strengthening Health Systems: Mobilising CSR for Last Mile Impact’ session emphasised how corporate philanthropy should focus on overall health systems change and how the technology and capital afforded by the private sector provide a strong argument to transition toward a social enterprise model, where organisations have a joint mission of generating health impact alongside financial returns. This is important as development organisations are often competing for resources, as stated by Pompy Sridhar, Country Director for MSD for Mothers.
- The ‘Driving Innovative Financing for Infectious Diseases’ session showcased findings from a recent whitepaper by AVPN and Wellcome Trust on innovative financing for late-stage infectious diseases research and development (R&D). Discussions centered on other important funding strategies, such as advocating for vaccines and increasing mentorship for academics to ensure market readiness of their solutions. As Dr. Choo Beng Goh, Head of Medical Affairs for India & South-East Asia at Takeda Pharmaceuticals mentioned, stakeholders need to “communicate and collaborate” to advance vaccine ecosystems.
- The ‘From Risk to Scale: Climate x Health Lighthouse Fund Innovations in Action’ session spotlighted grassroots solutions supported by the 5 million USD AVPN LightHouse fund to address climate and health challenges in India. The discussion also centered on the importance of evidence and cross-sector collaboration to fund the scale-up of climate–health innovations. Madhav Joshi, CEO at India Health Fund stated that there is a need to “shine light on investible solutions and inspire future collaborations”.
Call to action
The Forum highlighted the importance of developing a shared purpose and commitment among partners, integrating advanced technology, and keeping communities front of mind when improving health systems. Healthcare improvement in India and APAC will be a key focus at the upcoming AVPN Global Conference in New Delhi from August 25 – 27 August 2026. For more information about AVPN health initiatives and events, head to the AVPN Health Impact page.
