WHO appoints ISB faculty on its TB advisory group

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

The mission of the STAG-TB is to contribute to ending the TB epidemic and eventually eliminating the disease by providing state-of-the-art scientific and technical guidance to WHO. Its functions include providing an independent evaluation of the strategic, scientific, and technical aspects of WHO TB work, reviewing from a scientific and technical viewpoint the progress and challenges in its TB-related core functions, and advising 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, Prof.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 TB care and management in India and how they can be plugged.

Professor Deo said: “The Indian government is committed to eliminating TB by 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 the STAG.”

He will be part of a 15-member group of global experts who will provide WHO director-general with an independent evaluation of the strategic, scientific, and technical aspects of the organisation’s work on eradicating TB. The group is chaired by Ethel Leonor Maciel, secretary of Surveillance for Health and Environment, Ministry of Health, Brazil, and includes Dr Anurag Bhargava, professor of medicine, Yenepoya Medical College from India.

Professor Deo’s primary area of research is the effective management of healthcare delivery systems for improving population-level health outcomes, particularly for low and middle-income countries. Some of the healthcare contexts that he has studied include formal and informal pathways for TB diagnosis in India, and innovative delivery models for healthcare commodities and services across multiple continents, including Africa, North America, and Europe. He is also a member of expert committees constituted by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.