Professional Experience:
I started my career in 1992 in a small non profit grass-root NGO leading the planning and implementation of a USAID funded Mother and Child Health Program. After the completion of the Project, I joined State Public Health Services in West Bengal as Medical Officer In Charge of a Primary Health Center. I was responsible for implementing all National Public Health Programs and also providing out patient curative services. In 1997 I joined the National Polio Surveillance Project of WHO and Government of India as Surveillance Medical Officer. I was responsible for supporting the local government in planning and executing the Program. In addition I was responsible for monitoring the Polio Eradication Initiative in 10 districts of the State. In 2001 I was promoted as Regional Coordinator, South East region of National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP). My primary task included overseeing Polio Eradication Initiative in the Region with help from 22 field units of NPSP each with a Medical officer and supporting staff. I was responsible for advocacy, partnership management and developing strategic action plan for polio eradication in the Region. In 2004 I joined the India office of PATH as Senior Program Officer for the Bill and Melinda Gates funded Japanese Encephalitis Project. I worked closely with the internal team in PATH, partners viz. WHO, World BANK, GAVI and with the National and State Governments for the introduction of a new Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine in India. Following the successful introduction of the vaccine in multiple States in India, I was promoted as Director, Immunization in PATH India.I was responsible for over viewing all the immunization programs of PATH in India and Nepal. These included the Japanese Encephalitis Project, the HPV Vaccine Project and immunization projects in large States of India. My primary task was to lead the Immunization team, advocate for the work and the public health problem related to the disease and present the challenges and accomplishments of the multiple Projects. In 2009 I joined Institute for OneWorld Health as Country Director, India. I was responsible for leading the activities of the organization in India including technical and operational leadership. In 2010 I was promoted to Director, South Asia with expansion of my role in Bangladesh and Nepal primarily to lead clinical drug development. In 2011 I was promoted to Vice President and Head, South Asia. My role expanded to wide scale advocacy, fund raising and external communications. During my tenure in OneWorld Health, we expanded from one program in one State from one office in India to six programs in seven States in three countries of South Asia.