The University of Liverpool's Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL) was honoured to host a delegation from the Government of India and World Bank, gathering to discuss the importance of collaboration in the pursuit of improvements to public health. The visit was organised by the NHS Health Economics Unit.
The visit, Wednesday 5 November 2025, provided the Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL) an opportunity to exhibit their work as an interdisciplinary research centre dedicated to tackling global health challenges through civic data and technology. The day included presentations from a range of academic, local authority, and industry partners working in the field of health data science.
The visiting delegation was made up of senior representatives from the Indian National Health Authority and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, including Mr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal (CEO, NHA), Mr. Kiran Gopal Vaska (Joint Secretary, NHA and Mission Director, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission), Mr. Sanjay Mehrishi (Joint Secretary, NHA), and Mr. Vijay Kumar Sinha (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare). The World Bank was represented by Dr. Ajay Tandon (Lead Economist, Global Practice on Health, Nutrition, and Population) and Ms. Sheena Chhabra (Senior Health Specialist, Global Practice on Health, Nutrition, and Population).
The all day event saw presentations on the Combined Intelligence for Population Health Action (CIPHA) by Gary Leeming, Deputy Director of CHIL, and Andrea Astbury, Director of the Data into Action Programme at NHS Cheshire & Merseyside. This discussion focused on scaling digital public infrastructure, building trust in data governance, and ensuring privacy, security, and accountability across health systems.
Matt Hennessey, Chief Intelligence & Analytics Officer at NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board, showcased the GM Digital Platform, highlighting how health data can be harnessed for planning, research, and service improvement.
Gary Leeming, Deputy Director of CHIL, said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome visitors from the Government of India and to share how innovation in data is transforming and improving healthcare across the North of England. India is leading impressive developments in building national healthcare data systems and personal data stores, while we have a wealth of expertise here in the UK in using data to improve people’s lives and health that combined can build meaningful change for global health. As Liverpool continues to strengthen its links with India, I hope this marks the beginning of a long and valuable exchange of ideas and collaboration.”
Later in the day, Sean Clarkson, Programme Director at Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, led a session on Health Improvement Networks. The discussion explored opportunities for inward investment in digital health, support for businesses entering the UK market, and the importance of robust governance and evidence standards for innovation.
The afternoon concluded with a tour of the Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust Innovation Hub, where delegates experienced first-hand the cutting-edge facilities and collaborative spirit driving health innovation in Liverpool.
Professor Shakila Thangaratinam, Dean of the Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences and University Lead for the India portfolio, reflected on the event, saying “The meeting with the World Bank and the Government of India teams identified strategic areas for alignment in health data science. We look forward to strengthening our existing partnerships with Indian institutions and building new links, leveraging the opportunities from our India campus initiative.”