India Research Center
The India Research Center, based in Mumbai, serves as a hub for Harvard Chan School’s research projects, educational programs, and knowledge translation and communication work across India.
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Knowledge Dissemination Seminar: Systematic Evaluation of a Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Intervention in Punjab, India
June 2025
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – India Research Center, in collaboration with the Ambuja Foundation, hosted a knowledge dissemination event for the launch of a study report focused on addressing the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) risk in rural Bathinda, Punjab, a state that continues to face a high burden of hypertension and diabetes.
The report, titled “Systematic Evaluation of a Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Intervention in Punjab, India,” presents findings from a study led by Dr. Shilpa Bhupathiraju, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study evaluated community-based interventions implemented by the Ambuja Foundation over an eighteen-month period, focusing on their outcomes and potential for replication.
The seminar commenced with welcome addresses from Ms. Pearl Tiwari, CEO, Ambuja Foundation and Dr. Swati Bakshi, Deputy Director, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – India Research Center.
This was followed by keynote address from the Chief Guest, Dr. Nerges Mistry, Director, The Foundation for Medical Research.
Special guests included:
- Dr. Nachiket Mor, Economist, Visiting Scientist, Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health.
- Dr. Deepak Raut, Renowned Medical Educationist & Global Public Health Expert
The Guest of Honour, Dr. Umesh Shirodkar, Joint Director, NCD and Project Director Emergency Medical Services, Government of Maharashtra highlighted key government initiatives in tackling Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
The seminar featured a detailed presentation of the study findings by Shilpa Bhupathiraju, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Followed by reflections on field-based implementation learnings by Dr. Vinayak, Associate Director – Health, and Dr. Asmita Africawala, Senior Manager, Program Research and Monitoring, Ambuja Foundation.
The session culminated in a panel discussion on “Scaling Community-Based Models for NCD Prevention and Management”, featuring:
- Dr. Kaustubh Joag, Co-Director & Senior Research Fellow, Centre of Mental Health Law & Policy, Indian Law Society, Pune.
- Dr. Krisha Mathur, Director – Health, ACT Grants
- Dr. Apurva Pandya, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Policy, Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar
The discussion underscored that low-cost, community-based interventions, when rooted in local context and guided by scientific evidence, can lead to measurable health outcomes.
Through this study, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – India Research Center exemplifies its role in bringing together the Harvard’s scientific rigor with the lived realities, implementation experience, and contextual knowledge of Indian collaborators.
Dr. Bhupathiraju’s scientific direction, alongside the Ambuja Foundation’s implementation strength, highlights the value of such collaborative, field-informed approaches to improving public health.