Who We Are?

Ambassadors

National Office

New Delhi

V. R. Raman

National Convenor

V R Raman is a seasoned public health, nutrition, and WASH expert with close to three decades of work in the development sector. He is one of the founders of PHRN. He has made significant contributions in scaling up the idea of community health worker programs in India. He has also held senior positions with organisations such as the Public Health Foundation of India and WaterAid India. Currently he is working part time with the Sanitation learning Hub (IDS, Sussex) and ATREE, Bengaluru as a Senior Policy Research Expert. Trained in Public Health from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, Raman is serving several boards and expert committees.

Dr. Vandana Prasad

Technical Advisor

Dr. Vandana Prasad is a community pediatrician and public health professional with over two decades experience in social sector. She has been the National Convenor, Secretary and Executive Director of Public Health Resource Network, Joint Convenor of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan and Steering Committee member of the Right to Food Campaign. Her experience and expertise are in the area of malnutrition, health systems strengthening, and child rights. Dr Prasad has been leading models for community-based-management of malnutrition and participatory learning and action with women’s groups in tribal/rural communities with the organisation. Publications available at: RESEARCHGATE.NET

Dr. Rupa Prasad

Executive Director

A Ph. D in Social Medicine and Community Health, Rupa comes with over 19 years of experience in development sector. As a public health professional, she has worked on projects related to systems strengthening, child nutrition and nursing and midwifery education among others. She brings in management expertise and demonstrates her leadership in managing programmes, resource mobilisation and partnerships.

Ms. Rishita Maiti

Programme Coordinator

Ms. Rishita Maiti completed her Master’s in Public Health from TISS, Mumbai in 2022. She has worked in the areas of adolescent and child health and nutrition, and health system strengthening. She has experience in conducting research activities and managing and implementing programmes.

Mr. Vivek Goel

Senior Accounts and Administrative Officer

Mr. Vivek Goel is the Accounts and Administrative Officer of PHRS since 2016. He has completed his M. Com in 2021. Before joining PHRS he has worked with SPS Associates & J.K Verma & Company (C.A Firms) as Accounts and Audit Assistant. He has experience of Internal Audit as well as Statutory Audits.

Ms. Sarita Bisht

Accounts Officer

Ms. Sarita Bisht is the Accounts Officer of PHRS from Jan 2024. She completed her Masters in Commerce from C.C.S University in 2018. She has more than 7 years of experience in Accounting and her last employer was Sujata Carbons Pvt . Ltd and Gyan & Praveen Associates (C.A Firm). In Accounting, she can manage AP and AR, Statutory Audit, Book Keeping, GST compliance, TDS Compliance, Staff reimbursement & reconciliation, Stock Management, Bank Reconciliation, Petty Cash, etc.

Mr. Vijay Kumar Rai

Office Assistant

State Offices

Odisha

Dr. Madan Mohan Pradhan

State Convenor

Dr. Madan Mohan Pradhan has done MBBS and master’s in Applied Epidemiology from Chennai. He is an Additional District Public Health Officer, NVBDCP Odisha. To carry forward the people’s health movement, to strengthen the public health system through capacity building, research, innovations and model building he has voluntarily associated himself with Public health resource network, India since last so many years.

Mr. Shahnawaz Khan

Senior Programme Coordinator

Shahhnawaz Khan has been working with PHRS since February 2009. Currently working as programme coordinator based in Rayagada, Odisha. Previously had been associated with AAM project and handled technical support to ASHA training in 12 districts of Bihar. Major area of interests are health and nutrition. He has completed his masters in business administration with specialization in human resource.

Ms. Swati Priyambada Das

Senior Programme Coordinator

She is a public health professional with an experience of more than 12 years in this field. She holds an M. Phil. degree in Social Medicine and Community Health from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Prior to joining PHRN, she worked as Senior Research Associate at the Indian Institute of Public Health – Gandhinagar (IIPHG) and as Technical Expert, Child Health, Welfare & Development, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). Her areas of interest include child health and child rights, gender, tribal health, health of informal sector workers, health policies, and history of medicine.

Dr. Swagata Lakshmi Tarafdar

Program Coordinator

She is a public health professional with an MPH degree from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. She is highly motivated to bring changes in the healthcare delivery system through her active participation in the public health programmes. Prior to joining PHRN, she was associated with ICMR as Project Assistant. Her area of interest includes tribal health, child health and nutrition, communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Mr. Manas Ranjan Padhy

District Lead Coordinator

Manas holds an MSW degree from Madurai Kamraju University, Tamil Nadu. He has approximately 8 years of experience and has previously worked in the Vedanta Balchetana Anganawadi Project (VBAP) and Global PVT Education Project.

Mr. Niraj Kumar Shrivastava

Accounts and Administrative Officer

He has completed MBA in Finance from IGNOU after completion of B. Com. from Ranchi University. He has more than 16 years of experience in Accounting and Administration.

Mr. Debadutta Rout

Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator

Mr. Debadutta Rout have completed Master’s degrees in computer application, Business Administration, Post Graduate and Diploma in Rural Development with Post Graduate Certificate in Geoinformatics. He has 11 Years of experience in IT, MIS and Monitoring and Evaluation. He has Public health experience in Rural Creche Initiative, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition and Oral Cholera Vaccination program.

Mr. Shankar Samal

Office Assistant

Jharkhand

Mr. Haldar Mahto

State Convenor

Mr. Haldar Mahato has done MSc in Social Policy from London School of Economics and Political Science and Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from University of Western Cape as well as an MSc in Chemistry from Ranchi University and an MBA in Rural Management from XISS, Ranchi.

Chhattisgarh

Mr. Narayan Tripathi

State Convenor, Chhattisgarh PHRS

Narayan has more than a decade experience in strengthening Indian public health systems, mostly focused on Chhattisgarh and Bihar.
He is currently working as an operational lead on Health & Wellness Centers (HWC) in the state. Along with this he is involved in strengthening availability of essential drugs and diagnostics, capacity building, strategic inputs in Human Resources for Health, health financing and conducting studies to strengthen health systems.
He is a pharma graduate and has completed his master’s in health management from IIHMR, New Delhi.
“Strongly believe to build systems where everyone should attain the equitable and quality health care without any hardship and discrimination.”

Mr. Srikant Behera

Project Coordinator

Mr. Srikant Behera is a results-oriented public health professional with a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Health Management and a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) degree. Over 3 years of experience in the field, including project management, coordination, research, and clinical practice.

Md. Wesal Ahmad

MIS Officer

Md Wesal Ahmad is a results-oriented public health professional and data analyst with Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and technical qualification in DCA, computer accounting.

Md. Wesal has more than 5 years of experience in developing and implementing projects on RMNCH+A activity, Mental Health, and Child Nutrition.

In past he has worked with MAMTA-HIMC-Delhi, Care India, SRU Innovation.

Bihar

Mr. Rafay Eajaz Hussain

State Convenor

Mr. Rafay Eajaz Hussain is the General Manager – Bihar State Programme Office, Save the Children. Prior to this, he has served as State Program Manager at “Population Foundation of India”, Consultant at “ICICI Centre for Health & Nutrition”, State Technical Consultant at “Micronutrient Initiatives” during his career since 2004. He did his M.Phil. from Jawaharlal Nehru Vishwavidyalaya in Social Medicine and Community Health in 1998 after completing his degree in Political Science from Aligarh Muslim University in 1992 and Masters in Social Work in 1994 from Delhi University.