The three-day second Indo-US healthcare summit will be held in Delhi from January 2, 2009 with special focus on finding ways to reaching out to the rural poor. The Union health and overseas ministries, Indian Medical Association, Medical Council of India and the Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) are jointly holding the event.

The health summit would focus on prevention, diagnosis, treatment options and share ways to truly improve healthcare transcending global boundaries, according to a spokesman of the AAPI which has over 40,000 physicians as members.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss will inaugurate the meet and deliver a keynote address. Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi will attend the summit and has extended full support of his ministry to the event.

A wide variety of speakers including senior government officials, think tanks, hospital administrators, healthcare professionals and eminent physicians would debate on how to work together to solve the healthcare challenges facing India. A large contingent of leaders from AAPI, BAPIO (British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin) and Canadian Association of Physicians of Indian Heritage (CAPIH) are expected to attend the summit.

With the plan of reaching out to the poor in India, AAPI has identified seven areas - heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, deafness of new-born, mental health, infectious diseases, mother and child health care and emergency care for cooperation between India and the US.

The first summit was held in Delhi last year and recommended filling the gap between the poor and the rich and both the Indian and US sides extended commitment to achieve the goal. A number of programmes have been launched following the summit, according to the organizers.