India Pharma Outlook Team | Friday, 10 April 2026
Novartis is stepping up efforts to tackle gaps in care with its Novartis community health programs, expanding initiatives aimed at heart disease and cancer in underserved populations.
The Novartis community health programs will grow from 11 to more than 30 countries by 2030, focusing on low-income, rural, and hard-to-reach communities where access to care remains limited.
The expansion includes three key approaches. Inclusive Health Accelerators (IHAs), launching this week in five US cities, aim to improve access to breast and prostate cancer screening, diagnosis, and follow-up care.
Community Health Initiatives (CHIs) will scale across emerging economies to speed up diagnosis and treatment, while CARDIO4Cities will use real-time data and AI to improve heart health in urban areas worldwide.
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“We are going further to bring heart disease and cancer care to communities falling through the gaps in health systems,” said Michelle Weese, chief corporate affairs officer at Novartis. “With progress slowing against chronic disease in many countries, and millions missing out on potential treatment, there is an urgent need for new, sustainable solutions to improve access to care.”
In the US, IHAs will roll out in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Houston, and Baltimore, focusing on awareness, free screenings, and faster referrals. In lower-income countries, CHIs are already active in Vietnam, Rwanda, and Bolivia, with plans to expand further. These programs are designed to bring affordable healthcare access, early disease detection, and community-based treatment solutions closer to patients.
Meanwhile, CARDIO4Cities is set to expand to 23 countries, building on success in cities like São Paulo and Singapore, where it has improved hypertension control and reduced heart-related risks.
