Authors
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Aalok Mehta
Aalok Mehta, is a primary care physician from Mumbai with a special interest in tropical diseases. He has spent the last thirteen months with a non-profit called Swasthya Swaraj, that is dedicated towards the holistic upliftment of the Kutiya Kondh people, an indigenous community who reside in remote hamlets and villages deep within the dense forests of south-western Odisha.
Anand Swaminathan
anand@azimpremjifoundation.org
Anand Swaminathan works with Azim Premji Foundation.
Anurag Behar
anurag.behar@azimpremjifoundation.org
Anurag Behar is the CEO of Azim Premji Foundation. In addition, he was the founding vice chancellor of Azim Premji University, Bangalore and is the founding Chancellor of Azim Premji University in Bhopal.
Anusha G Rajan
anusha.rajan@azimpremjifoundation.org
Anusha G Rajan is trained in Public Policy. She works in the Health Programs Team at Azim Premji Foundation.
Bharati Dasgupta
bharati.dasgupta@azimpremjifoundation.org
Bharati Dasgupta is a public health professional with 12+ years of experience across diverse health programmes. She joined the Azim Premji Foundation a year ago and currently works with the Bangalore Health Programme. Her work focuses on strengthening primary healthcare systems, maternal and child health, immunization, mental health, and community outreach in underserved urban settlements. She works in close collaboration with frontline workers, partner organizations, and public health systems.
Bhausaheb Aaher
Bhausaheb Aher is a postgraduate in Social Work from the Karve Institute of Social Service, Savitribai Phule Pune University, with over 25 years of extensive experience in the development and public health sector and he has been associated with SATHI past 18 years, where he has played a pivotal role in advancing community health, nutrition rights, social accountability, and governance initiatives across Maharashtra. As a Certified Trainer with the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), he has developed high-impact training modules and facilitated numerous trainings for government officials, community representatives, elected representatives, and civil society organizations.
Dr Amrita Misra
Dr. Amrita Misra (MBBS, MD) is a physician and Public Health practitioner with decades of experience of working on women and children’s health issues in India and neighboring countries. She was with the United Nations, WHO and other international health organizations and has contributed to several guidelines and programs of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India to provide better health services to all. She is now a freelance Public Health Consultant committed to mainstream the health challenges experienced by women during mid-life in Public Health Policy and discourse in India.
Dr. Abhay Bang
Dr. Abhay Bang is the Founder-Director of SEARCH (Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health), an NGO based in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. For nearly four decades, SEARCH has been delivering healthcare and conducting research across 134 tribal villages. Under his leadership, SEARCH has undertaken pathbreaking studies and developed the landmark ‘Home-Based Newborn and Child Care’ model - now scaled up nationally and globally. He has chaired the Government of India’s Expert Group on Tribal Health, contributing significantly to national policy. Over the years, he has received over 70 national and international awards. Drs. Abhay and Rani Bang were conferred the Padma Shri in 2018.
Dr. Abishek Kevin Pandian
Kevin is a curious Community Health Physician with a diverse range of interests, particularly in technology, currently working at CSI Lombard Memorial Mission Hospital, Udupi, Karnataka. He constantly seeks opportunities to apply new ideas, enhance systems, and create a positive impact in the communities and environments around him. In his free time, he loves to play basketball, go on treks, and is extremely extroverted.
Dr. Anita Patil-Deshmukh
A USA-trained faculty neonatologist, self-taught social scientist by passion, and developmental researcher by preference; Dr. Anita Patil-Deshmukh is the Director- Programs and Principal Investigator in PUKAR. She relocated to India in 2005 to helm PUKAR and continued that role until December 2024. Her research interests are urban poverty, social determinants of health, and urban knowledge production through the lens of marginalized youth, and she has published 9 papers in peer-reviewed international journals.
Dr. Dhananjay Kakade
dhananjay.kakade@sathicehat.org
Dr. Dhananjay Kakade work as Director of Anusandhan Trist-SATHI. He has 18 years of professional experience at the global and the national level in the development sector. He has worked as a trainer, researcher, campaigner, organiser, manager and grant-maker, focusing on social accountability, governance, and human rights. Dr. Dhananjay has worked with civil society organisations and funding agencies to safeguard human rights and promote people’s participation in health decision-making.
Dr. John Cherian Oommen
Dr. Johnny Oommen, grew up and trained in community health at CMC Vellore, and then served at the Christian Hospital, Bissamcuttack in Rayagada District of Odisha from 1993 to 2024 – leading the Mitra Community Health Program in 54 predominantly Adivasi villages, and helping to lead the 200-bedded, multi- disciplinary hospital. He has been a consultant to Government and NGO’s. A thinker, speaker and trainer, he brings together conceptual clarity, grass-roots experience and professional expertise with simplicity and humour.
Dr. Khyathi Reddy Pilaka
khyathi@leprahealthinaction.in
Khyathi Pilaka is a public health professional with LEPRA Society, working in neglected tropical diseases. She has experience in programme implementation and research, and contributes to field-level health interventions. She works as Manager – Knowledge Management and New Initiatives and leads the SHAKTHI intervention focused on strengthening care in tribal communities.
Dr. Krishna R. Murthy
Dr. Krishna R. Murthy (DO, MRCOphth, PhD) is a vitreoretinal surgeon and Medical Director of Vittala International Institute of Ophthalmology. His interests include diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), HIV-related eye diseases, and ocular proteomics. He has led the development of a mobile diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma treatment unit serving rural populations across 16 districts of Karnataka. He also oversees one of India’s largest tele-ophthalmology screening programmes for ROP, a potentially blinding condition affecting premature newborns.
Dr. M. R. Rajagopal
"Dr. M.R. Rajagopal is the founder and Chairman Emeritus of Pallium India, an organization that has successfully reduced health-related suffering in India. In 2018, Dr Rajagopal was honored with Padma Shri from Republic of India. In 2022 he published his memoir “Walk with the weary” describing his palliative care journey."
Dr. Pavitra Mohan
Pavitra Mohan is a paediatrician and a public health physician. Cofounder of Basic Healthcare Services. Works at interface of primary healthcare, public health and health policy.
Dr. Regi George and Dr. Lalitha Regi
Drs. Regi George and Lalitha Regi are founders of the Tribal Health Initiative in Sittilingi Valley, Tamil Nadu. They blend clinical care with community empowerment, promoting sustainable health, organic farming, and women's entrepreneurship among tribal communities—transforming lives through compassion, equity, and grassroots leadership.
Dr. Sanjana Brahmawar Mohan
Sanjana Brahmawar Mohan is a pediatrician and public health physician. She is the co- founder of Basic Healthcare Services, a not-for-profit health care organization that provides low-cost, quality healthcare with dignity to remote and underserved communities in South Rajasthan.
Dr. Sunil Mehra
Dr. Sunil Mehra, MD (Paediatrics) has over three decades of experience in public health. As a founder of the Mamta Health Institute for Mother and Child (1990), he has pioneered many community and system strengthening initiatives on maternal-child health, HIV, TB, NCDs, and climate resilience for underserved. A WHO advisor and prolific author, he has contributed to global and National health policy, adolescent health and wellbeing, and measurement initiatives.
Dr. Sunil Shroff
Dr. Sunil Shroff is a senior urologist and transplant surgeon based in Chennai, serving at Madras Medical Mission and MGM Healthcare. A pioneer in organ donation advocacy in India, he is the Managing Trustee of the 30-year-old NGO, MOHAN Foundation, and President of the Telemedicine Society of India. He is widely recognized for his transformative role in establishing deceased organ donation programs in India and for his leadership in transplantation and digital health.
Glorgio Winston Gouda
glorgio.gouda@azimpremjifoundation.org
Glorgio Winston Gouda is an MPH graduate and public health professional with diverse experience across community health programs, research, and program implementation in India. He currently works with the health team at the Azim Premji Foundation in Chhattisgarh, focusing on maternal and child health, nutrition, and strengthening primary healthcare systems through field-based engagement and learning.
Hemraj Patil
Hemraj Patil has a degree of master's in social work (Community development) and 17 years’ experience working in the public health sector. For the last 14 years he has been working with SATHI, on Community-based Monitoring and planning of Health Services and Decentralized Health Planning. Currently he coordinates with rural and Tribal teams. in three districts, for public participation in health services, HWC-JAS strengthening and capacity building of field teams. He has vast experience in liasoning with state level administrations, departments and officials.
Hrishikesh Parthasarathy
Hrishi.p@azimpremjifoundation.org
Hrishikesh Parthasarathy leads a range of grants programs for the Azim Premji Foundation. He manages a team that looks at grants and collaborations in healthcare, and programs to address malnutrition and stunting. He also looks at the Foundation’s initiatives at the intersection of technology and civil society. Hrishikesh is a qualified Chartered Accountant. His primary obsessions outside work and family include contributing to his old school, running the marathon, trekking the Himalaya, and chess.
Jyoti Ghogare
Jyoti Ghogare works as field supervisor with Anusandhan Trust-SATHI for four years. As a beginner from Community worker, she has developed the skills and ability to supervise the initiative through her commitment and efforts. She has worked in intersection of health and education for developing community level knowledge to practical program implementation.
Kalyani Subbiah
kalyani.subbiah@azimpremjifoundation.org
Kalyani Subbiah works in the Health Research Team at the Azim Premji Foundation. Her experience is in public health research and health communication strategies that respond to vulnerabilities in health.
Kavi Kumar Nagarajan
Kavi Kumar Nagarajan is an experienced public health professional with over a decade of expertise in remote and conflict-affected regions. Currently leading the health program at Aarohi, he has spent over eight years implementing empathetic healthcare and Spearheading the expansion of high-quality, low-cost Primary Healthcare Centers to ensure last-mile delivery in the Himalayan region. His background includes a Master’s in Social Work with specialization in Public Health from TISS, Mumbai and an under graduation in Social Work from MCC, Chennai.
Maria Susan George
maria.george@azimpremjifoundation.org
Maria Susan George is a part of the Health Team at the Azim Premji Foundation. She is trained in Public Administration, with experience in program design and implementation.
Mr. Arun Kumar Kandukuri
Arun Kumar Kandukuri is Head of Programmes at LEPRA Society with over 15 years of experience in public health across government and international NGOs. He leads large-scale health initiatives and brings expertise in programme implementation, strategic planning, and coordination of neglected tropical diseases and tuberculosis interventions within public health systems."
Nachiket Mor
Nachiket Mor is trained as an economist. His current work is principally focused on the design of national and regional health systems. He is a Visiting Scientist at the Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health.
Padmashree Yadav
Padmashree Yadav is a Community Health Officer (CHO) at PHC Bhungara in Banswara district, Rajasthan. She has been serving as a CHO for the last five years. She is committed to improving community health by creating awareness and ensuring that people can access essential health services. She enjoys working closely with the community and believes that better awareness leads to better health outcomes.
Prabhudutt Nayak
prabhudutt.nayak@eha-health.org
Prabhudutt Nayak is a Public Health Social Worker with 33 years of experience engaging in various health and development initiatives for impoverished and marginalized communities in Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. He has been leading the Community Health and Development Department at Bethesda Hospital Society, Chhatarpur, M.P. and pursuing a PhD.
Pritika Malhotra
Pritika Malhotra works on urban governance, public finance, and climate policy. She contributes to research and thought leadership at ResGov, focusing on the intersection of local governance, fiscal systems, and climate-responsive policy frameworks.
Purusottam Singh Thakur
purusottam.thakur@azimpremjifoundation.org
Purusottam Singh Thakur is part of the Communications Team at Azim Premji Foundation. He has been telling stories from rural India for over three decades. He began his career in journalism working with both print and electronic media, including NDTV. His stories continue to appear in Down to Earth, the People’s Archive of Rural India, and other platforms that celebrate voices of social change and resilience.
Putul Rani Saradar
Putul Rani Saradar is the Project Coordinator of this initiative and has been associated with SSDC for the past 19 years. Beginning her journey as a community worker, she has grown into a leadership role through her dedication and commitment. Her long-standing contributions as a social worker have played a significant role in strengthening SSDC’s work at the community level.
Rajesh Ram
rajesh.ram@azimpremjifoundation.org
Rajesh Ram works in health program management in Jharkhand. He is a Development Communications postgraduate and has 14 years of experience in the sector. Since 2020, has been associated with Azim Premji Foundation.
Rakesh Mohan Ghildiyal
rakesh.ghildiyal@azimpremjifoundation.org
Rakesh Ghildiyal is a Public Health professional with a Master’s from Azim Premji University. Having spent 30 years living in the Himalayas, he shares a deep, personal bond with its culture and struggles. Currently, he is working as a Health Resource Person with the Azim Premji Foundation. He believes that rather than judging public servants from a distance, we must live among them to truly understand their challenges. His goal is to bridge the gap between policy and ground reality.
Ram Seshadri
ram.seshadri@azimpremjifoundation.org
Ram Seshadri is an Associate at the Azim Premji Foundation with a background in Journalism from Toronto, Canada. He brings three years of experience in content strategy, writing, and editorial work. When he’s not crafting stories, you’ll find him watching sports, exploring cinema, or penning his own fiction.
RamG Vallath
Ramgopal Vallath (RamG Vallath) works with Azim Premji Foundation in Health. Outside of this, RamG is a bestselling author, having published 3 books. He is also a keynote speaker, having delivered over 150 talks on resilience, happiness, leadership, growth mindset, parenting etc.
Reema R
reema.r@azimpremjifoundation.org
Reema is a health worker specializing in mental health, committed to supporting individuals and communities to achieve better mental health well-being at the Foundation. Her work focuses on early identification of mental health concerns, screening, counseling, psychoeducation, referrals, and community-based interventions. She works closely with families and communities to reduce stigma, improve access to care, and promote culturally sensitive, inclusive, and sustainable mental health support for underserved and vulnerable populations.
Sandeep Kumar Chaudhary
Sandeep.chaudhary@azimpremjifoundation.org
Sandeep Kumar Chaudhary is a public health professional with more than six years of experience in Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCHA+N) programs. He joined the Azim Premji Foundation in November 2024 and is currently working with the Health Team in Banswara, Rajasthan, supporting community health and nutrition initiatives.
Sarbani Das Roy
Sarbani Das Roy is an Ashoka Fellow, and the Co Founder & Director of Iswar Sankalpa. Leveraging an MBA, training in psychotherapy, and two decades of experience in the development sector, she pioneered an alternative pathway of care in the community for homeless persons with mental illness which is selected by WHO as the best practice in community outreach mental health. She also initiated an integrated approach to health care by making available mental health care at municipality primary health care centres, for the urban poor in Kolkata.
Sharad Pandey
Sharad Pandey works on public finance analysis, with a focus on social sector financing, intergovernmental fiscal transfers, and state budget trends. He contributes to research and thought leadership at ResGov, where his work examines how public finance systems shape service delivery and development outcomes.
Shobana Sivaraman
shobana.sivaraman@azimpremjifoundation.org
Shobana Sivaraman works at the intersection of public health research and implementation. Her work focuses on translating field insights into practical and scalable health programs. She is with the Azim Premji Foundation supporting design, implementation, and partnerships for urban health initiatives in Bangalore.
Shreshtha Mishra
shrestha.mishra@azimpremjifoundation.org
Shreshtha Mishra works at Azim Premji Foundation, Raipur, Chhattisgarh. She is part of the creche program management team and has been involved in creche related processes in the state. She has earlier joined the organisation as an associate resource person in 2020 and has worked in the field of Early Childhood Education domain as well.
Sreya Pradhan
sreya.pradhan@azimpremjifoundation.org
Sreya Pradhan is a public health professional with over 15 years of experience in programme implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning and implementation research. She has worked across maternal and child health, nutrition and communicable diseases, focusing on strengthening programmes and health systems and supporting data-driven decision-making, currently she is a part of health grants team at Azim Premji Foundation.
Trupti Malti
Trupti Malti work a Senior Project Officer and associated with Anusandhan Trust-SATHI for last 18 years. With Her ability to managerial and analytical skills, which have enabled her in the execution of project activities including developing strategies and developing community need programs. While leading this initiative she has worked across community participation, Mahila Arogya Samiti (Urban), Jan Arogya Samiti (Rural), maternal-child health and Nutrition, non-communicable diseases for focusing on the programs for strengthening public health system.