South First Founder and CEO GS Vasu said the digital explosion, powered by smartphones, AI tools, and social media influencers, has made information more accessible than ever but also dangerously unreliable.
Published Nov 09, 2025 | 12:35 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 09, 2025 | 12:35 PM
GS Vasu inaugurating Dakshin Health Summit 2025.
South First Founder and CEO GS Vasu on Sunday, 9 November, announced a year-long national health campaign focusing on two of India’s fastest-growing health crises — diabetes and obesity — at the inauguration of the Dakshin Health Summit 2025: Bridging Knowledge and Care in Dermatology.
Unveiling the initiative at the second edition of South First’s flagship health conclave, Vasu said the campaign will bring together awareness events, discussion forums, deep-dive reportage, and outreach programmes involving key stakeholders — all aimed at fostering meaningful conversations and actionable initiatives to make India healthier.
“Let this event be the stepping stone towards this huge journey,” Vasu said, opening the summit that brought together leading doctors, researchers, and public health professionals from across South India.
Vasu said Dakshin Health Summit 2025 is not just a conclave but part of South First’s continuing mission to promote evidence-based healthcare and counter misinformation in the digital era. “Now is the time for a platform like Dakshin Health Summit — an attempt to put science at the centre of healthcare discussions, and research at the centre of public wellness,” he said.
Describing South First’s health vertical as the organisation’s “pride,” he said it is built on integrity, accuracy, and accessibility. “Our single-most focus is ensuring access to healthcare information and awareness in the simplest form possible to common people — our readers,” he said.
“It is their trust that motivates us to bridge the gap between credible, trustworthy healthcare professionals and the common person in an era where misinformation is derailing every aspect of human existence.”
Vasu said the digital explosion, powered by smartphones, AI tools, and social media influencers, has made information more accessible than ever but also dangerously unreliable. “We are bombarded with thousands of uninformed reels, hundreds of unfounded hacks, dozens of unrealistic influencers — misleading lakhs of Indians every day,” he warned, stressing that the fight against quackery must now move to the forefront of public discourse.
Reaffirming South First’s role as a newsroom committed to journalism for the public good, Vasu drew attention to the Indian Constitution, reminding the gathering of Article 51A, which enjoins every citizen to develop a scientific temper, humanism, and the spirit of inquiry.
“You may wonder what a health conclave on anti-quackery and best practices in dermatology has to do with the Constitution. Trust me, it has a lot,” he said.
He added that South First has consistently stood by science-backed medical practice and professionals who champion it. “Just like we stood by Dr Rajetha Damisetty when she challenged quacks dispensing medical advice, calling themselves dermatologists, we take pride in standing by someone like Dr Sivaranjini in her long and tireless fight against companies that mislabelled products to pass them off as WHO-recommended ORS,” he said.
Calling for collective action against “big companies indulging in misleading practices,” Vasu said Dakshin Health Summit 2025 embodies South First’s belief in advancing scientific research, responsible reporting, and ethical medical practices.
With those words, he formally declared the Dakshin Health Summit 2025: Bridging Knowledge and Care in Dermatology open.
The summit, attended by prominent dermatologists, public health experts, and medical researchers, aims to create a platform for informed dialogue, sharing of best practices, and collaboration across medical disciplines — reaffirming South First’s commitment to credible health journalism and public well-being.
