Global Health Seminar: Global Polio Eradication and the Endgame: An Update
McGill Global Health Programs is excited to welcome Dr. Ananda S. Bandyopadhyay, Senior Program Officer for Polio Research at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for our first seminar of the 2017-2018 academic year!
Abstract:
Polio is on the verge of eradication with a near 99.9% reduction in cases globally over the past three decades. The endgame of polio is a complex interplay of social, ethical, political and economic factors that influence the choice of vaccines and ability to vaccinate. This discussion will highlight the progress made so far in overcoming these unique challenges and will explore the path forward to achieve and sustain eradication for long-term.
About our speaker:
Ananda considers himself a foot-soldier in the battle to eradicate diseases.
Ananda grew up in Kolkata, India and completed his medical graduation from Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital (2005). He received his Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Global Health from Harvard School of Public Health (2010).
In between (2006 – 2009), he worked for the polio eradication initiative in five states in India as a Surveillance Medical Officer with WHO and contributed to India’s successful and historic polio eradication effort and measles surveillance initiatives. He worked as an infectious disease epidemiologist at Rhode Island State Department of Health, US for two years, before joining the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in June, 2012. As a Senior Program Officer at the Gates Foundation, he supports global polio vaccine research and product development initiatives across multiple countries and geographies, including South Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe. His research is focused on generating data regarding the best use of polio vaccines to make the vaccines affordable and accessible to vulnerable and underserved populations. Ananda is also associated with advanced degree programs in public health and infectious diseases in several globally renowned teaching venues as a guest faculty.
Light refreshements will be served