Swarup Sarkar

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Swarup Sarkar
Swarup Sarkar (sbruup srkaar).jpg
NationalityIndian
Education MBBS, MD, MS
Alma mater Medical College Kolkata

Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University

Contents

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Occupation(s) Epidemiologist, public health professional and diplomat Past Director of Communicable Diseases, South East Asia Regional Office, WHO [1]
Employer(s) Indian Council of Medical Research, WHO, UNAIDS, Asian Development Bank, The Global Fund
Known forPublic Health Advocacy for HIV/AIDS

Swarup Sarkar is an Indian epidemiologist, public health professional and diplomat known for his work in the field of Infectious Diseases [1] [2] and HIV/AIDS in particular. [3] [4]

He retired as the Director of Communicable diseases at the World Health Organization, South East Asia regional Office (WHO SEARO) in November 2018.<Sarkar has been awarded for his contribution in Public Health by World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018. [5] Prior to his role in the WHO, he has served as the Head of South Asia and Regional Advisor of the Asia Pacific region of the UNAIDS [6] and Director of Asia Pacific Country Programs of The Global Fund. [7] [8]

Education

Sarkar was an alumnus of the AIDS International Research and Training Program from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). [3]

Professional career and contribution

Sarkar joined the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 1998, and served UNAIDS at various roles for a decade, from being an Epidemiologist stationed in Geneva, to being the Team Leader of UNAIDS, South Asia and Regional Adviser to the Asia Pacific region. [6] [9]

Sarkar's UNAIDS group pushed South Asian countries to focus prevention services for the marginalized groups in ways which were not traditional in the field. [3] He proposed and formed self-run services by the high risk communities and is recognized to create an enabling environment by breaking the barriers that obstruct people from accessing essential services. [10] He has advocated for political commitment, acceptance of the HIV problem by the Governments, allocation of resources, mitigation of stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and an all-inclusive approach for target group identification, prevention and care. [11] [12]

Before returning to UNAIDS again in 2011, Sarkar worked with the Asian Development Bank and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. In 2015, Sarkar joined the World Health Organization (WHO) as the Director of Communicable diseases for its South East Asian Regional Office (SEARO). [2] [13]

His works have shown that sex inequality and education for women and girls are strongly associated factors for HIV infection, emphasizing that the vulnerability of young women needs to be reduced by measures to improve access to schooling and education in sexuality and reproductive health. [14]

Sarkar's main activities were centered around the reduction in stigma as a part of prevention interventions within activities meant to reduce transmission among sex workers, injection drug users, MSM and their partners. These activities, referred to as ‘enablers’, were required to create an enabling environment for these groups by removing barriers to access to services. These include the timing of services (for example, evening rather than daytime for sex workers), community ownership (for example, MSM, IDU or sex workers running their own clinics), removing disincentives caused by police harassment or violence and addressing other hindrances (for example, creches to look after children of sex workers while they attend clinics or those of IDUs in deaddiction services). [10] [15] [14]

He has openly criticized the harassment of gay population, sex workers, and drug users, which were culturally widely common across the entire region of South East Asia. [16] He established that fear of ill treatment by the health-care staff causes many HIV-infected women in the region not to disclose their HIV status, [17] which has led to significant delay in care-seeking behavior of the infected mother and led to significant transmission of HIV infection to the new-borns. [17]

Related Research Articles

Men who have sex with men (MSM) refers to all men who engage in sexual activity with other men, regardless of their sexual orientation or sexual identity. The term was created by epidemiologists in the 1990s, to better study and communicate the spread of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS between all sexually active males, not strictly those identifying as gay, bisexual, pansexual or various other sexualities, but also for example male prostitutes. The term is often used in medical literature and social research to describe such men as a group. It does not describe any specific kind of sexual activity, and which activities are covered by the term depends on context. An alternative term, males who have sex with males is sometimes considered more accurate in cases where those described may not be legal adults.

Male circumcision reduces the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission from HIV positive women to men in high risk populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS</span> Pandemic of HIV/AIDS

The global pandemic of HIV/AIDS began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2023, HIV/AIDS had killed approximately 40.4 million people, and approximately 39 million people were infected with HIV globally. Of these, 29.8 million people (75%) are receiving antiretroviral treatment. There were about 630,000 deaths from HIV/AIDS in 2022. The 2015 Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that the global incidence of HIV infection peaked in 1997 at 3.3 million per year. Global incidence fell rapidly from 1997 to 2005, to about 2.6 million per year. Incidence of HIV has continued to fall, decreasing by 23% from 2010 to 2020, with progress dominated by decreases in Eastern Africa and Southern Africa. As of 2020, there are approximately 1.5 million new infections of HIV per year globally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Asia</span>

In 2008, 4.7 million people in Asia were living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Asia's epidemic peaked in the mid-1990s, and annual HIV incidence has declined since then by more than half. Regionally, the epidemic has remained somewhat stable since 2000.

HIV/AIDS in China can be traced to an initial outbreak of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) first recognized in 1989 among injecting drug users along China's southern border. Figures from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and UNAIDS estimate that there were 1.25 million people living with HIV/AIDS in China at the end of 2018, with 135,000 new infections from 2017. The reported incidence of HIV/AIDS in China is relatively low, but the Chinese government anticipates that the number of individuals infected annually will continue to increase.

HIV is recognized as a health concern in Pakistan with the number of cases growing. Moderately high drug use and lack of acceptance that non-marital sex is common in the society have allowed the HIV epidemic to take hold in Pakistan, mainly among injecting drug users (IDU), male, female and transvestite sex workers as well as the repatriated migrant workers. HIV infection can lead to AIDS that may become a major health issue.

Although Senegal is a relatively underdeveloped country, HIV prevalence in the general population is low at around 0.08 per 1000 people, under 1% of the population. This relatively low prevalence rate is aided by the fact that few people are infected every year – in 2016, 1100 new cases were reported vs 48,000 new cases in Brazil. Senegal's death due to HIV rate, particularly when compared it to its HIV prevalence rate, is relatively high with 1600 deaths in 2016. Almost two times as many women were infected with HIV as men in 2016, and while almost three times as many women were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ARV) as men, only 52% of HIV positive people in Senegal received ARV treatment in 2016.

HIV/AIDS in Eswatini was first reported in 1986 but has since reached epidemic proportions. As of 2016, Eswatini had the highest prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15 to 49 in the world (27.2%).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe</span> Major public health issue

HIV and AIDS is a major public health issue in Zimbabwe. The country is reported to hold one of the largest recorded numbers of cases in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to reports, the virus has been present in the country since roughly 40 years ago. However, evidence suggests that the spread of the virus may have occurred earlier. In recent years, the government has agreed to take action and implement treatment target strategies in order to address the prevalence of cases in the epidemic. Notable progress has been made as increasingly more individuals are being made aware of their HIV/AIDS status, receiving treatment, and reporting high rates of viral suppression. As a result of this, country progress reports show that the epidemic is on the decline and is beginning to reach a plateau. International organizations and the national government have connected this impact to the result of increased condom usage in the population, a reduced number of sexual partners, as well as an increased knowledge and support system through successful implementation of treatment strategies by the government. Vulnerable populations disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe include women and children, sex workers, and the LGBTQ+ population.

With less than 0.1 percent of the population estimated to be HIV-positive, Bangladesh is a low HIV-prevalence country.

UNAIDS has said that HIV/AIDS in Indonesia is one of Asia's fastest growing epidemics. In 2010, it is expected that 5 million Indonesians will have HIV/AIDS. In 2007, Indonesia was ranked 99th in the world by prevalence rate, but because of low understanding of the symptoms of the disease and high social stigma attached to it, only 5-10% of HIV/AIDS sufferers actually get diagnosed and treated. According to the a census conducted in 2019, it is counted that 640,443 people in the country are living with HIV. The adult prevalence for HIV/ AIDS in the country is 0.4%. Indonesia is the country in Southeast Asia to have the most number of recorded people living with HIV while Thailand has the highest adult prevalence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in Nepal</span>

The first HIV/AIDS cases in Nepal were reported in 1988. The HIV epidemic is largely attributed to sexual transmissions and account for more than 85% of the total new HIV infections. Coinciding with the outbreak of civil unrest, there was a drastic increase in the new cases in 1996. The infection rate of HIV/AIDS in Nepal among the adult population is estimated to be below the 1 percent threshold which is considered "generalized and severe". However, the prevalence rate masks a concentrated epidemic among at-risk populations such as female sex workers (FSWs), male sex workers (MSWs), injecting drug users (IDUs), men who have sex with men (MSM), Transgender Groups (TG), migrants and male labor migrants (MLMs) as well as their spouses. Socio-Cultural taboos and stigmas that pose an issue for open discussion concerning sex education and sex habits to practice has manifest crucial role in spread of HIV/AIDS in Nepal. With this, factors such as poverty, illiteracy, political instability combined with gender inequality make the tasks challenging.

Since HIV/AIDS was first reported in Thailand in 1984, 1,115,415 adults had been infected as of 2008, with 585,830 having died since 1984. 532,522 Thais were living with HIV/AIDS in 2008. In 2009 the adult prevalence of HIV was 1.3%. As of 2016, Thailand had the highest prevalence of HIV in Southeast Asia at 1.1 percent, the 40th highest prevalence of 109 nations.

Cases of HIV/AIDS in Peru are considered to have reached the level of a concentrated epidemic.

Honduras is the Central American country most adversely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is estimated that the prevalence of HIV among Honduran adults is 1.5%.

With less than 1 percent of the population estimated to be HIV-positive, Egypt is a low-HIV-prevalence country. However, between the years 2006 and 2011, HIV prevalence rates in Egypt increased tenfold. Until 2011, the average number of new cases of HIV in Egypt was 400 per year, but in 2012 and 2013, it increased to about 600 new cases, and in 2014, it reached 880 new cases per year. According to 2016 statistics from UNAIDS, there are about 11,000 people currently living with HIV in Egypt. The Ministry of Health and Population reported in 2020 over 13,000 Egyptians are living with HIV/AIDS. However, unsafe behaviors among most-at-risk populations and limited condom usage among the general population place Egypt at risk of a broader epidemic.

Discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS or serophobia is the prejudice, fear, rejection, and stigmatization of people with HIV/AIDS. Marginalized, at-risk groups such as members of the LGBTQ+ community, intravenous drug users, and sex workers are most vulnerable to facing HIV/AIDS discrimination. The consequences of societal stigma against PLHIV are quite severe, as HIV/AIDS discrimination actively hinders access to HIV/AIDS screening and care around the world. Moreover, these negative stigmas become used against members of the LGBTQ+ community in the form of stereotypes held by physicians.

HIV prevention refers to practices that aim to prevent the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV prevention practices may be undertaken by individuals to protect their own health and the health of those in their community, or may be instituted by governments and community-based organizations as public health policies.

Since reports of emergence and spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States between the 1970s and 1980s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has frequently been linked to gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) by epidemiologists and medical professionals. It was first noticed after doctors discovered clusters of Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia in homosexual men in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco in 1981. The first official report on the virus was published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on June 5, 1981, and detailed the cases of five young gay men who were hospitalized with serious infections. A month later, The New York Times reported that 41 homosexuals had been diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma, and eight had died less than 24 months after the diagnosis was made.

Morocco has been identified as one of the best countries within the MENA region in dealing with the HIV epidemic based on their research capacities, surveillance systems, and evidence-informed and comprehensive responses. While the general public has a fairly low HIV prevalence, the majority of HIV/AIDS cases can be found in three high-risk groups, which is important when deciding how to approach intervention and prevention.

References

  1. 1 2 "WHO felicitates Dr Swarup Sarkar for his contribution to public health". The Times of India. 22 December 2018.
  2. 1 2 "WHO commends Dr Swarup Sarkar for his contribution to the field of public health – My Medical Mantra English". Dailyhunt. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "Acting Boldly: Dispatches from the HIV/AIDS Battlefield | Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health". ph.ucla.edu. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  4. ↑ Specter, Michael (10 December 2001). "India's Plague". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  5. ↑ "WHO congratulates Dr. Swarup Sarkar for his contribution to public health: India News". tech2.org. October 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  6. 1 2 Sarkar, Swarup. "Is AIDS Financing dying in Asia ? Swarup Sarkar Senior Adviser, UNAIDS, Geneva ICAAP, Busan, August ppt download" . Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  7. ↑ Sarkar, Swarup (2009). "Global Fund TB Grants in Asia and the Pacific" (PDF).
  8. ↑ Sarkar, Swarup (1 February 2010). "Community engagement in HIV prevention in Asia: going from 'for the community' to 'by the community'—must we wait for more evidence?". Sexually Transmitted Infections. 86 (Suppl 1): i2–i3. doi: 10.1136/sti.2009.039289 . ISSN   1368-4973. PMC   3252600 . PMID   20167726.
  9. ↑ "AIDS vaccine research in Asia: needs and opportunities". AIDS. 13 (11): 1–13. July 1999. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199907300-00020 .
  10. 1 2 Sarkar S (February 2010). "Community engagement in HIV prevention in Asia: going from 'for the community' to 'by the community'--must we wait for more evidence?". Sexually Transmitted Infections. 86 Suppl 1 (Suppl 1): i2-3. doi:10.1136/sti.2009.039289. PMC   3252600 . PMID   20167726.
  11. ↑ "India's Plague « Michael Specter, author of "Denialism"" . Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  12. ↑ UNDP HIV & Development Project, South and Southwest Asia (8 June 2001). National Consultation on HIV/AIDS and the media (PDF). New Delhi: UNDP HIV & Development Project, South and Southwest Asia. p. 42.
  13. ↑ Researchgate. "Researchgate profile: Swarup Sarkar".
  14. 1 2 Lubega M, Nakyaanjo N, Nansubuga S, Hiire E, Kigozi G, Nakigozi G, Lutalo T, Nalugoda F, Serwadda D, Gray R, Wawer M, Kennedy C, Reynolds SJ (26 August 2015). "Risk Denial and Socio-Economic Factors Related to High HIV Transmission in a Fishing Community in Rakai, Uganda: A Qualitative Study". PLOS ONE. 10 (8): e0132740. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1032740L. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132740 . PMC   4550390 . PMID   26309179.
  15. ↑ Rezwan K, Khan HS, Azim T, Pendse R, Sarkar S, Kumarasamy N (November 2016). "A success story: identified gaps and the way forward for low HIV prevalence in Bangladesh". Journal of Virus Eradication. 2 (Suppl 4): 32–34. doi:10.1016/S2055-6640(20)31097-9. PMC   5337411 . PMID   28275448.
  16. ↑ Jenkins, C; Sarkar, S (2004). Creating Environments that Care: Interventions for HIV Prevention and Support for Vulnerable Populations: Policy Project (USAID) and UNAIDS. UNAIDS.
  17. 1 2 Subramaniyan A, Sarkar S, Roy G, Lakshminarayanan S (October 2013). "Experiences of HIV Positive Mothers From Rural South India during Intra-Natal Period". Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 7 (10): 2203–6. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2013/5782.3471. PMC   3843428 . PMID   24298476.
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