WHO appoints ISB faculty to its TB Advisory Group

HYDERABAD: Professor Sarang Deo, Professor of Operations Management; deputy dean of faculty and research; and executive director of Max Institute of Healthcare Management at the Indian School of Business (ISB) has been appointed as a member of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) for Tuberculosis by World Health Organisation (WHO).

The mission of STAG-TB is to contribute to ending the tuberculosis epidemic and eventually eliminating the disease by providing state-of-the-art scientific and technical guidance to WHO. Its functions include providing WHO with an independent evaluation of the strategic, scientific, and technical aspects of WHO's TB work, to review from a scientific and technical viewpoint the progress and challenges in their TB-related core functions, and to advise on priority activities for its prevention and care.

Known for his pioneering research in private sector engagement models for TB control and eradication, in addition to effective management of healthcare delivery systems, Professor Deo’s appointment will boost India’s own fight against the disease. He works closely with global organisations and partners to understand some of the critical gaps in tuberculosis care and management in India and how they can be plugged.

In an official statement released by the ISB on Tuesday, Professor Deo said: “The Indian government is committed to eliminating TB by the year 2025 and the constitution of STAG-TB will add increased impetus to the global concerted efforts. My appointment comes at a crucial time in the global fight against the disease. I hope to bring in insights from my and others' research on private sector engagement and health system design to the discussions of STAG.”

Professor Deo would be part of a 15-member group of global experts who would provide WHO's Director-General with an independent evaluation of the strategic, scientific, and technical aspects of the organisation’s work on eradicating TB. The group was chaired by Ethel Leonor Maciel, Secretary of Surveillance for Health and Environment, Ministry of Health, Brazil and included Dr. Anurag Bhargava, Professor of Medicine, Yenepoya Medical College from India.

Professor Sarang’s primary area of research was effective management of healthcare delivery systems to improve population level health outcomes, particularly for low and middle-income countries. Some of the healthcare contexts that he studied included formal and informal pathways for TB diagnosis in India, innovative delivery models for healthcare commodities and services across multiple continents, included Africa, North America, and Europe. He was also a member of expert committees constituted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).