Chandrakant Lahariya

Chandrakant Lahariya

Born
1980s
Gwalior, India

Nationality
Indian

Education
Medicine, Epidemiology, Public Health, Public Policy

Years active
1998–present

Known for
Epidemiology, Vaccinology and Immunology, Health systems Science Communication

Chandrakant Lahariya is an Indian medical doctor, epidemiologist, vaccinologist, public health, and policy expert and writer. His work centers around strengthening health systems, public policy interventions to address health inequities and to develop innovative models for health service delivery. . In second half of 2021, he had done extensive engagements with schools and policy makers as well as technical writing, evidence synthesis and advocacy for schools re-opening in Indian states.

Lahariya is the lead author of book Till We Win: India's Fight Against The COVID-19 Pandemic, with Randeep Guleria of AIIMS, New Delhi and Gagandeep Kang of Christian Medical College, Vellore. He has been considered one of the credible "voices of reason" during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

In early 2008, Lahariya joined the World Health Organization in India, where – for the next few years- he coordinated the organization's work on the new vaccines introduction in the country. He specifically worked on the formulation of National Vaccine Policy of India, and on the introduction of Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib)vaccine as well as scale up of Hepatitis B vaccine across the Indian states.

Awards and recognitions

In the year 2012, he received Indian Council of Medical Research’s Dr B.C. Srivastava Foundation Award for his work on translating community-based health research into public policy interventions.

In 2013, a former President of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics wrote about him that "I am impressed with Dr Chandrakant Lahariya for his work and vision to improve child survival in India. Dr Lahariya is a young, immensely talented and highly respected public health professional in India, who has significantly contributed to many activities of IAP including vaccinology courses, Mission Uday and has been a regular contributor to all major activities of IAP for last few years."

In 2015, he became the youngest fellow ever elected to the Indian Public Health Association (IPHA).

In October 2020, in a study conducted by Stanford University and published in the reputed PLoS Biology, Lahariya was listed amongst in top 2% of researchers globally, in the fields of Pediatrics and Public Health. He was, once again, included in the list of Top 2% researcher globally, in 2021.

Books and writing

Lahariya is the lead author of book Till We Win: India's Fight Against The COVID-19 Pandemic, with Randeep Guleria of AIIMS, New Delhi and Gagandeep Kang of Christian Medical College, Vellore. The book has been published by the leading publisher Penguin Random House India and has become a bestseller. The book has been termed as "An easy to read and an important book driven by science, data and reason' by the editor in chief of India's leading newspaper the Hindustan Times.

His forthcoming books are titled as The Lighthouse of Peeragarhi and Pause Is An Opportunity, both slated for release in early 2022, as announced on his Twitter handle, in early November 2021. The Lighthouse of Peeragarhi is focused upon how India can strengthen primary healthcare system, with specific learnings and experience from his firsthand work with the Mohalla Clinics of Delhi as well as the [[Basthi Dawakhana]] of Telangana state in India. The second book Pause Is An Opportunity is being considered as an important and most awaited books of 2022 and has focus on health, education and wellness and how schools re-opening in India can be used to transform [[Health]] of the families and children. It reportedly delves into various aspects of the COVID-19 vaccines as well. Both of these books will be published in English and Hindi.

His opinion pieces are regularly published in the leading newspapers and online portals including The Indian Express, The Hindu and Dainik Bhaskar.

In 2009-10, Lahariya was the Guest editor (along with Dr Vinod Kumar Paul, the then Professor of [[Pediatrics]] at AIIMS, New Delhi and at present Member, NITI Aayog, Govt. of India) of a special series on Child Survival in India. This series was published in the Indian Journal of Pediatrics and had contribution from leading Indian health experts including Prema Ramachandran, Deoki Nandan, Prasanna K Hota, & Shiv Lal. Lahariya had co-authored a few articles including one with Dr Vinod Kumar Paul of NITI Aayog.

His seminal paper titled "A brief history of vaccines and vaccination in India", was published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR) in April 2014. The journal is published by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). This paper is one of the highly cited as well as amongst the most comprehensive and authoritative published articles on vaccines and vaccination in India.

Selected publications

• What makes primary healthcare facilities functional, and increases the utilization? Learnings from 12 case studies. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care({Template:Date).
• Community action for health in India: evolution, lessons learnt and ways forward to achieve universal health coverage. WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health({Template:Date).
• A brief history of vaccines & vaccination in India. Indian Journal of Medical Research({Template:Date).
• Burden, Differentials, and Causes of Child Deaths in India. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics({Template:Date).
• Measles related complications and the role of vitamin A supplementation. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics({Template:Date).
• Global eradication of polio: the case for "finishing the job". Bulletin of the World Health Organization({Template:Date).
• Can Southeast Asia eradicate yaws by 2010? Some lessons from the Yaws Eradication Programme of India.. The National Medical Journal of India({Template:Date).
• Emergence of chikungunya virus in Indian subcontinent after 32 years: A review. Journal of Vector Borne Diseases({Template:Date).
• Avian flu and possible human pandemic. Indian Pediatrics({Template:Date).