In Conversation with Dr. Rajani Ved and Dr. Ananya Awasthi

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Dr. Rajani R. Ved leads the India office’s health-portfolio which spans maternal and newborn health, maternal anemia, nutrition, and infectious diseases. She and her team collaborate closely with India’s national government and state governments to strengthen health systems aligning their strategies with national goals to improve population health outcomes.

Dr. Ved has worked for over 30 years with grassroots nongovernmental organizations, governments, donors, and private foundations to develop policy, conduct research, and design, implement, and evaluate large-scale health programs for women and children’s health and nutrition and health systems.

Before joining the foundation in 2022, Dr. Ved worked for 12 years at the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) within India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, first as an advisor and then as executive director. At the NHSRC, she led the implementation of India’s community health worker (ASHA) program and supported the design and implementation of India’s flagship primary health care reform, Ayushman Arogya Mandir.

Dr. Ved has a medical degree from Madras University and a Master of Public Health from Harvard University.

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Dr. Ananya Awasthi is a renowned public health expert and the founder-director of Anuvaad, a research organization providing evidence based support for India’s health and nutrition agenda. With a background in public policy consulting & global health, Dr. Awasthi previously served as the head of the India Research Center at the Harvard School of Public Health. She holds a master’s degree in Public Health from Harvard University.

Dr. Awasthi work focuses on evidence-based support for Poshan-India’s national nutrition program, developing strategic guidelines for nutrition governance and promoting data-driven policymaking. Her research also focuses on policy convergence between agriculture and nutrition, mapping India’s dietary data, and driving behavior change communication for maternal and child nutrition.

Prior to founding Anuvaad, Dr. Awasthi led the India Research Center for the Harvard School of Public Health, where she oversaw the implementation of global health research projects, spearheaded training programs, and promoted public health communication in India. She also serves on the advisory board of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (Government of India).

Dr. Ananya Awasthi holds a master’s degree in public health, specializing in global health and population, from Harvard University.