In a country as diverse and populous as India, the challenge of ensuring credible health information is daunting. With over a billion people speaking 22 distinct languages and multiple medicinal fields often at odds with each other, navigating healthcare becomes a complex task.
The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) recognizes this challenge and has taken on the ambitious mission of transforming health literacy in India. Founded in 2019, THIP aims to create a healthier, more informed society by empowering Indians with the knowledge and skills to make better health decisions.
India’s high rate of self-medication points to a deeper issue: the country’s limited access to qualified doctors and high out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. Amid this landscape, misinformation about health thrives. THIP steps in as a vital player in combating this misinformation, providing an ecosystem of reliable health resources and fact-checking services.
“There is no white and black in healthcare. Most people who make tall claims on social media miss that. A lot of our editorial work is around highlighting that missing context,” says Neelam Singh, Editor at The Healthy Indian Project.
Disseminating Trusted Health Information
As an organization that has built a network of more than 200 medical professionals across the country, The Healthy Indian Project is committed to ensuring that every piece of content is carefully vetted. THIP’s stringent editorial guidelines have earned them the trust of their audience and partnerships with global organizations like the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which recently included THIP in their Vaccine Safety Net program.
The need for credible health information is further emphasized by the fact that even mainstream media in India often falls short, with health pages that sometimes spew misinformation.
The Healthy Indian Project stands out as the first Indian website certified by the American Accreditation Commission International (AACI), further solidifying its reputation as a credible source in a country where such sources are few and far between.
“Balancing scale with cultural sensitivity is a delicate but essential task. At THIP, we believe in a hyper-local approach, where we tailor our content to suit the linguistic and cultural nuances of the regions we serve. This is crucial in a country like India, where health beliefs vary widely. For instance, we customize our health literacy training camps based on regional health concerns, working closely with local communities and healthcare professionals to ensure that the content we deliver is both relevant and respectful.” adds Miss. Singh.
Developing the Largest Repository of Health Information
Beyond fact-checking, The Healthy Indian Project has built one of the largest health information databases in the country covering over 120 health conditions and 36 treatments. They also provide a unique tool for their community: a WhatsApp chatbot named RAKSHA, which allows users to ask questions or verify the information they receive. This service has become a lifeline for many Indians who are bombarded with health misinformation daily.
In a rapidly changing world where misinformation is just a click away, The Healthy Indian Project’s work is more critical than ever.
“With the advent of generative AI chatbots, the fight against misinformation is taking a paradigm shift. This is the time when credible health information sources will become very important,” explains Ms. Singh.
However, the work The Healthy Indian Project does isn’t without its challenges. Online trolling, stalking, and even legal threats are part and parcel of the job. “We regularly fact-check influencers, healthcare companies, and individuals making dubious claims about everything from diabetes reversal to hair regrowth,” shares Sudipta Sengupta, CEO of THIP.
The challenges are significant, but the impact is undeniable. THIP has educated over 5,000 people in rural and underserved areas, offering health literacy training camps that help individuals avoid falling prey to dangerous misinformation.
“Being a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), the first Indian website certified by the American Accreditation Commission International (AACI), and a member of WHO’s Vaccine Safety Net (VSN) program, lends immense credibility to our work. These recognitions not only validate our commitment to accuracy and integrity but also push us to constantly raise our standards.” adds Mr. Sengupta.
Expanding Health Literacy Program
The company has recently launched India’s first health content education platform targeted at providing health education to the general public. This marks THIP’s foray into the online education space.
This expansion into online education is a natural progression for an organization that already manages health literacy camps across India. Through these initiatives, THIP is not just debunking myths; it’s creating a movement to empower individuals with accurate, reliable health knowledge.
THIP’s ambition doesn’t stop at fact-checking and content creation. Ankita Srivastava, Head of Strategy and Growth at THIP, explains, “We aspire to evolve into a full-stack health data and service company. But content and education will always stay at the heart of what we do.”
The Healthy Indian Project relies on a combination of technology and expert human oversight to ensure the information is accurate and credible.
“We look at technology as a facilitator of whatever we do. From internal processes to editorial planning to fact-checking – technology and tools are a part of what we do.”
Miss Ankita further says, “Our data segmentation capabilities at the backend are our strength. We have data sets available as per age, sex, health profiles, preferred medicinal fields, and so on. We have built a unique strength to present content at the point of consumption as per a person’s need. This gives us the ability to customize and personalize content as per a person’s medical profile. The editing team has also built a decent-sized database of misinformation around health conditions. This helps us proactively educate a person as per his health vulnerability.”
“Health Literacy is at the core of THIP.”- Neelam Singh, Editor, The Healthy Indian Project (THIP)
Q1. How do you see the role of health literacy evolving in India, especially given the challenges of self-medication and limited access to credible health information?
Neelam Singh: Health literacy is the cornerstone of public health in a country as diverse as India. With over a billion people and 22 official languages, delivering credible health information is not just about translation—it’s about understanding cultural contexts, health beliefs, and local medicinal practices. The high rate of self-medication in India reflects deeper systemic issues: a shortage of healthcare professionals and the high out-of-pocket expenses that often discourage people from seeking professional help. The Healthy Indian Project aims to bridge this gap by providing reliable health information in a way that resonates with the public, helping people make informed decisions about their health. As health literacy evolves, our focus will be on making health information accessible and actionable for every Indian, regardless of language, location, or socioeconomic status.
Q2. The Healthy Indian Project is expanding its reach through both online platforms and on-the-ground health literacy training camps. How do you balance the scale of these efforts while ensuring that the content remains culturally sensitive and accessible across India’s diverse regions?
Neelam Singh: Balancing scale with cultural sensitivity is a delicate but essential task. At THIP, we believe in a hyper-local approach, where we tailor our content to suit the linguistic and cultural nuances of the regions we serve. This is crucial in a country like India, where health beliefs vary widely. For instance, we customize our health literacy training camps based on regional health concerns, working closely with local communities and healthcare professionals to ensure that the content we deliver is both relevant and respectful. Our online platforms also prioritize accessibility—whether through multilingual content or our RAKSHA chatbot, which allows users to access credible health information or verify claims in their preferred language. This dual approach helps us scale our efforts without losing touch with the unique needs of the communities we serve.
Q3. Fact-checking health misinformation, especially on social media, often brings significant pushback. How does The Healthy Indian Project strategize to address these challenges while maintaining credibility and protecting your team?
Neelam Singh: Fact-checking health misinformation is a critical but challenging task, especially in today’s digital landscape, where misinformation spreads quickly and can cause real harm. At THIP, we adopt a multi-layered strategy to address these challenges. First, we focus on transparency and accuracy in all our fact-checking efforts, ensuring that our work is backed by credible sources and peer-reviewed research. Second, we prioritize the safety and well-being of our team, many of whom face online trolling and threats. We’ve created an environment that emphasizes mental health support and security protocols to protect our staff. Lastly, we collaborate with social media platforms and industry partners to amplify our efforts and ensure that our fact-checks reach as many people as possible. Despite the pushback, our commitment to delivering truthful, evidence-based health information remains unwavering.
“THIP is committed to transforming India’s Healthcare Landscape.” Sudipta Sengupta, CEO, The Healthy Indian Project (THIP)
Q1: THIP has become a key player in health literacy and misinformation prevention in India. What was the driving force behind the creation of this social enterprise?
Sudipta Sengupta: The need for THIP arose from a clear gap in accessible and credible health information in India. We live in a country with over a billion people, speaking 22 different languages, with a high rate of self-medication due to limited access to doctors and high out-of-pocket expenses. Add to that the complexity of six different government-recognized medicinal fields, often with conflicting advice. The chaos this creates online was the primary motivation for starting The Healthy Indian Project. Our goal was to create a trusted platform that empowers Indians with accurate information, cutting through the noise of misinformation.
Q2: What role do you see THIP playing in the broader context of health literacy in India?
Sudipta Sengupta: THIP is more than just a fact-checking platform. We are part of a larger movement towards health equity in India. Our work goes beyond addressing misinformation; it is about building a culture where accurate health information is accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status. We want to empower every Indian to make informed decisions about their health, and we believe that a well-informed population is key to driving change in the country’s healthcare landscape.
Q3: How does THIP’s work impact the community, especially in underserved areas?
Sudipta Sengupta: Our work directly impacts communities that are often neglected by mainstream healthcare initiatives. In underserved areas, where healthcare penetration is low, misinformation can be life-threatening. Through our ground-level health literacy training camps and our online education platform, we’ve reached over 5,000 people, equipping them with the knowledge they need to protect themselves and their families from quacks and misleading health claims. These efforts create ripple effects, raising awareness and promoting healthier practices within entire communities.
Q4: The Healthy Indian Project has been recognized by several global bodies like the IFCN, AACI, and WHO. How do these recognitions influence your work?
Sudipta Sengupta: Being a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), the first Indian website certified by the American Accreditation Commission International (AACI), and a member of WHO’s Vaccine Safety Net (VSN) program, lends immense credibility to our work. These recognitions not only validate our commitment to accuracy and integrity but also push us to constantly raise our standards. They are a reminder that our work is being recognized on a global platform, and that drives us to continuously innovate and improve.
Q5: What’s next for THIP in terms of growth and impact?
Sudipta Sengupta: We see THIP evolving into a full-stack health information and service provider. Health information consumption has a very need based approach. If you do not have a particular knowledge during an emergency, you will turn towards the internet and that is when you become vulnerable to misinformation. We want to break that chain by making credible information and knowledge available at fingertips. We are now moving to curated health information. Post that, we will move to personalized health information.
“Accessibility is a key priority for us at THIP.”- Ankita Srivastava, General Manager, Strategy and Growth, The Healthy Indian Project (THIP)
Q1: How does THIP leverage technology to ensure the accuracy and credibility of health information on your platform?
Ankita Srivastava: At THIP, we rely on a combination of technology and expert human oversight to ensure our information is accurate and credible. We look at technology as a facilitator of whatever we do. From internal processes to editorial planning to fact checking – technology and tools are a part of what we do. This also requires continuous training and upskilling the team. But technology is only one part of the process. Content is vetted rigorously by in-house doctors and external medical professionals. This blend of automation and human expertise ensures that the information we provide is not only accurate but also culturally relevant and understandable.
Q2: Can you tell us more about technology and your content strategy?
Ankita Srivastava: Our data segmentation capabilities at the backend are our strength. We have data sets available as per age, sex, health profiles, preferred medicinal fields and so on. We have built a unique strength to present content at the point of consumption as per a person’s need. This gives us an ability to customise and personalise content as per a person’s medical profile. The edit team has also built a decent size database of misinformation around health conditions. This helps us proactively educate a person as per his health vulnerability.
Q3: How does THIP ensure that the platform remains accessible and user-friendly across India, considering the diverse linguistic and cultural landscape?
Ankita Srivastava: Accessibility is a key priority for us at The Healthy Indian Project. We’ve designed our platform to be multilingual, to cater to India’s diverse population. Beyond language, we also focus on ensuring that our content is culturally sensitive and regionally relevant. Our user interface is optimized for different devices and internet bandwidths, recognizing that many users in rural areas may not have access to high-speed internet. We believe that credible health information should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their location or technical constraints.
Q4: What role does your chatbot, RAKSHA, play in improving health literacy and combating misinformation?
Ankita Srivastava: RAKSHA is a key component of our strategy to improve health literacy
and fight misinformation. The chatbot provides users with instant access to verified health information and fact-checking services. Users can ask health-related questions or forward content they’ve come across for verification. This direct engagement helps reduce the spread of
misinformation and empowers individuals to make informed health decisions.
Conclusion
The Healthy Indian Project’s work has far-reaching effects. In a country where around 62% of people are unable to identify credible health information online, it is about creating an ecosystem that helps Indians navigate the often confusing healthcare landscape, arming them with accurate, reliable information. In a country where COVID has shown that health misinformation can have deadly consequences, THIP is quietly driving a revolution—one that is sorely needed.
As the organization continues to grow, it remains steadfast in its mission to create a healthier, more informed, and health-equitable society. And while the road ahead may be long, with obstacles at every turn, THIP’s impact is already undeniable.
