Ms. Rao was a panelist for the Forum’s discussion on Health Leadership Around the World.
Ms. Rao has over twenty years of experience in the health sector in India at the state and national level. Most recently, she served as the Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India and led the launch of the first national program for non-communicable diseases. Ms. Rao has represented India on Boards of the World Health Organization, Global Fund, and UNAIDS. She is co-chair of the WHO’s Advisory Panel on Developing a Global Health Systems Research Strategy and a founding Board member of the Public Health Foundation of India.
