ASPIRE (Agenda Setting for Oral Health Policy in India – Research on Neglect and Evaluation) Project is a DBT Wellcome Trust India Alliance Early Career Fellowship (2024-2029) awarded to Dr Rajeev B R.
This research proposal aims to investigate the neglect of oral health policy in India, focusing on the agenda-setting process. The study seeks to understand the factors contributing to this neglect and its impact on policy formulation, with the hypothesis that key global events have influenced the agenda-setting for oral health in India. The objectives include understanding existing content on oral health in policy documents, exploring policymakers’ perspectives, comparing the policy formulation processes of Brazil and India, and engaging with policy entrepreneurs. The research will employ a case study design guided by Kingdon’s Multiple Streams approach. The methodology involves a comprehensive search of policy documents, interviews with policymakers, and thematic analysis. Comparative policy analysis with Brazil will also be conducted. The expected outcomes include informing policy formulation, creating awareness, influencing resource allocation, fostering partnerships, and catalysing policy reforms. This research addresses the neglect of oral health and aims to bring about positive changes in policies and initiatives. By providing insights into the agenda-setting process and advocating for evidence-based policies, this project can contribute to improving oral health outcomes in India.
This project is supervised by Dr Pragati Hebbar (Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru), and mentored by Dr Manu Raj Mathur (Public Health Foundation of India, India). The external collaborators include Dr Sara Van Belle (Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium) and Dr Roger Keller Celeste (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). Dr Prashanth N S (Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru) will act as a sponsor.
