Padma Shri awardee and globally recognised rabies expert Omesh Bharti has been nominated by the World Health Organization to serve on the oversight committee of the Strategic Technical Advisory Group (STAG) working group. This group operates under WHO’s malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTD) department and focuses on monitoring, evaluation, and research.
Recognition for Groundbreaking Work
Dr Bharti received the Padma Shri in 2019 for developing a low-cost rabies prevention protocol. Notably, the WHO later adopted this protocol, underscoring its global relevance. In addition to his work on rabies, he is actively engaged in research on snakebite envenoming.
Role in Global Evaluation Efforts
According to the WHO’s malaria and NTD department, Dr Bharti will serve as an independent expert on neglected zoonotic diseases in the 18-member committee. The committee will conduct a midterm evaluation of ongoing programmes.
Specifically, the evaluation will assess progress under the Neglected Tropical Diseases Road Map 2021-2030 and determine whether global targets remain on track. Furthermore, the oversight committee will provide strategic and technical guidance to ensure that the evaluation process remains credible, objective, and outcome-focused.
Strengthening India’s Global Voice
As reported by TOI, currently, Dr Bharti serves as Deputy Director with the National Health Mission in Shimla. In addition, he is a member of national task forces and WHO expert panels on rabies and snakebite envenoming.
He emphasised that India’s representation in the committee will strengthen the country’s voice in shaping global strategies for neglected tropical diseases. Consequently, his nomination marks a significant step in enhancing India’s contribution to international public health policy.