Dr PV Ranganadha Rao, Chief Executive of LEPRA India, has been appointed as International Medical Director for LEPRA Health in Action.  His role will be to ensure the continued development of quality of care throughout the organisation.

Dr Rao joined LEPRA India in 1989 as Medical Officer at LEPRA Hyderabad leprosy project (HYLEP) and in 2003 he was appointed as Chief Executive of LEPRA India

Before joining LEPRA Dr Rao worked for two years as a Medical Officer in a leprosy hospital supported by the German Leprosy Relief Association, and for five years in the Indian Army Medical Corps.

Dr Rao has been instrumental in establishing leprosy projects in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar and his major contribution was the establishment of prevention of disability (POD) programmes in all LEPRA India’s field projects.   He also conceptualised and piloted the referral centre in an integrated setting to provide specialised care for leprosy patients with deformities.  Under his leadership, LEPRA has broadened its vision in India into allied diseases like TB and HIV/AIDS.

Dr Rao has 20 publications to his credit and has presented papers in international conferences covering Leprosy, TB, HIV/AIDS and tropical diseases like lymphatic filariasis. He also participated in the evaluation of Maldives Leprosy Eradication Programme commissioned by South-East Asia Regional Office of the World Health Organization. 

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