Initiative marks a strategic shift from treatment-centric care to preventive healthcare across all age groups
BENGALURU, 2026 — In a significant move toward strengthening India’s preventive healthcare ecosystem, SPARSH Group of Hospitals has launched one of the first hospital-led structured Life-Course Vaccination (LCV) programmes in the country, covering individuals from childhood through elderly adulthood.
The comprehensive initiative, launched at the hospital’s flagship Infantry Road facility, will integrate vaccination assessments into routine clinical care across all departments—from outpatient consultations and emergency care to hospital admissions and follow-up visits. The programme will subsequently expand to other SPARHS centres across Bengaluru.
Addressing a Critical Healthcare Gap
The initiative comes at a time when India faces a growing double burden of disease. According to World Health Organization estimates, non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes, and cancers now account for approximately 63–65 percent of deaths nationally, while infectious diseases such as influenza and pneumonia continue to affect vulnerable populations. Rapid urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, and environmental factors have further amplified health risks in metropolitan centres like Bengaluru.
The programme specifically targets a significant gap in India’s healthcare system: adult vaccination remains substantially underutilized despite evolving epidemiological patterns and rising disease risks. Beyond childhood immunization, the initiative promotes vaccines across life stages, including HPV for cervical cancer prevention, shingles (herpes zoster) protection, pneumococcal vaccines for pneumonia, and Tdap/Td boosters for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.
Preventive Care as Clinical Priority
Launching the initiative, Dr. Sharan Shivaraj Patil, Chairman and Chief Orthopaedic Surgeon at SPARSH Hospitals, emphasized the need for systemic change in healthcare approach.
“India’s healthcare system must gradually shift from a model focused largely on treating illness to one that actively protects health,” Dr. Patil stated. “Prevention is the foundation of a stronger and more resilient society. Vaccination is among the most powerful tools in preventive medicine, yet life-stage vaccination beyond childhood remains underutilized in India.”
He added: “Life-course vaccination recognizes that protection is needed at every stage of life—from childhood to elderly years. Through this initiative, we hope to encourage a broader public-health mindset where prevention, awareness and timely vaccination become an integral part of lifelong healthcare.”
Integrating Vaccination into Routine Care
Under the new programme, medical department heads and healthcare providers will systematically review vaccination status at every patient touchpoint, embedding preventive care into everyday clinical practice.
Mr. Jasdeep Singh, Group CEO of SPARSH Hospitals, outlined the operational vision: “With the Life-Course Vaccination programme, we are operationalising preventive healthcare within the hospital ecosystem. By integrating vaccination assessments across departments and patient interactions, we aim to make preventive care simple, accessible and routine for patients and families. Our focus is to ensure that every individual visiting our units receives the right guidance, access and support to stay protected throughout different stages of life.”
The initiative is supported by Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. as knowledge and awareness partner, providing educational resources and capacity-building support to complement in-house scientific expertise led by Dr. John Paul, Consultant in Infectious Diseases at SPARSH Hospitals.
The programme ultimately aims to improve vaccination coverage among high-risk populations, reduce the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases, and foster a culture where preventive health becomes integral to lifelong medical care.
