Biography
Public Health Specialist (MD, PhD) with extensive experience in TB and HIV programmes. International experience in Angola, Brazil, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinée, India, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Northern Sudan, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Suriname, The Netherlands, and Zambia.
Currently
- member of Global Fund's Technical Review Panel as a TB expert
- Unitaid's Proposal Review Committee as a M&E expert
- Reviewer for TB REACH - a funding mechanism for innovative TB case finding and treatment improvement
Key Impacts
Impact of livelihood support on the treatment of drug-resistant TB: An excerpt from rural India
Our findings suggest that the sustainable person-centered care of livelihood support improved PwDRTB's family income. It positively impacts treatment outcomes with 89% of the PwDRTB provided with livelihood support successfully completing the treatment and a lower probability of an unsuccessful outcome.
Source: Conference 2024
Double burden of mental health issues and TB among people with drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB in rural India
This study found that PwDRTB more often reported somatic, cognitive and severe anxiety and depression symptoms than PwDSTB. Prevalence of symptoms of severe depression and anxiety were more amongst females (DSTB-69%, DRTB-42%) and young adults (DSTB-58%, DRTB-77%) than cognitive symptoms and somatic symptoms. This highlights the need for gender and age-sensitive interventions to improve TB treatment outcomes.
Source: Conference 2024