Anjana Penugondla

I am a self-motivated, enthusiastic, versatile, and adaptable team player who is result oriented and dedicated to leading the development of solutions through providing technical assistance to the Government for Health system strengthening. My previous professional engagements were with UN agencies - WHO, UNICEF & UNDP supporting the Government in various capacities strengthening health systems in fields of RMNCH+A, Surveillance, Immunization, Cold chain, Vaccine and Logistics supply chain management, Digital health solutions, non-communicable diseases, and health promotion.

My strengths emerge from the core driving principles of integrity and credibility. In my career, I have successfully built and led a project team through efficient administration, managerial and leadership abilities, and serving as a subject matter expert. I possess strong advocacy, negotiation, and impactful writing and communication skills. I consider myself a quick learner, adaptable to diverse and challenging conditions, bring in logical thinking and strategic analysis, and solutions drive with a positive mindset.

Looking forward to being associated with the role that allows me to utilize my skills, experience, and learnings fully gained over 9+ years of experience (including 3 years of postgrad training in Community Medicine) to make an impact in the field of public health. Gaining experience in diverse fields in the health sector being associated with leading UN organizations and WHO, and working with Government counterparts at different levels in successful planning and implementation of health programs. This has enriched me with all the required experience in understanding the workflow processes, challenges, and gaps in the health system from the granular level up to the policy and decision-making levels.

Thus, my career objective is to find possibilities to learn and contribute my services in a valuable manner through gained experience, skills, and technical expertise for achieving sustainable development in the health systems for the greater public good.

1. Technical Advisor

• Providing technical support to WHO India to the Government of India for developing the next phase of the National Multisectoral Action Plan 2023-2030, aligned with the implementation road map 2023–2030 for the global action plan.
• Assisting in coordinating intersectoral meetings and helping MoHFW to prioritize and scale up the implementation of the most impactful and feasible interventions outlined in the action plan.
• Facilitating subnational training of non-health sectors for implementing multisectoral action to prevent and control NCDs.
• Supporting Ministry of Panchayati Raj in promoting healthy village theme. In coordination with other WCO teams/units, assist in the development of IEC materials, capacity building modules to promote a participatory approach, and design monitoring mechanisms for healthy villages.
• Liaising with the Ministry of Education, and University Grants Commission to accelerate the implementation of the Health Promoting Universities Index 
• Coordinating with Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs for implementation of SEAR action plan for promoting physical activity and addressing other NCD risk factors
• Engage UN agencies, CSOs and other stakeholders for implementing recommendations of Political declaration of the third UNHLM on the prevention and control of NCDs.
• Work with MoHFW and Ministry of Labor and Employment for roll out of minimumset of guidelines for healthyworkplaces.
• Facilitating consensus building workshop with stakeholders to implement Urban Equity Framework addressing determinants of health in Indian cities.
• Assisting in assessment of School Health& Wellness Programme of Ayushman Bharat.
• Drafting conceptsnote to systematically evaluate and document the impact of National Multisectoral Action Plan on adoption of policies, legislation and other cost-effective measures for mitigating NCD risk factors & health system response.

2. Technical Specialist - Suply Chain 

• Joined National team of Health and governance unit at UNDP India as Technical Specialist– Supply Chain providing technical support to the other UNDP Countries offices based on India’s experience. This included supporting them with the acquired knowledge and experience in the development and phased implementation of a supply chain management systems that included vaccine logistics, cold chain management, beneficiary tracking on a single information system platform along with the RegionalBureau of UNDP for Asia Pacific (RBAP)
• Engaged and closely coordinated with UNDP CO teams at Afghanistan, Bhutan, Guyana, and several other Country offices in South Asia sharing the inputs on digital eLMIS system and experiences of eVIN and COWIN digital products of India supporting them in their efforts of response to COVID Pandemic and strengthening Immunization drive.
• Worked with Regional Bureau for Asia Pacific from the UNDP India office for CESI initiatives and South-South triangular cooperation.
• As a part of the National core technical team, I worked in coordination with the software development team on the advanced features of eVIN software development, assisting in the roll out of new features and modules along with timely feedback from end-user perspective from public health and program experience from the field.
• Participated from India in the Global South-South Development Expo 2022 at Bangkok, Thailand on 13th September which the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW) of India, in collaboration with UNDP India, convened the side event CoWIN: A digital revolution winning over COVID-19. Mar. 2021- Nov. 2022 New Delhi.
• Been a part of the follow-up plan through active facilitation from UNDP India in the current SSTC supporting Govt of India along with the UNDP BRH team, and regional office Bangkok with the countries showcasing interest.
• Led to support the countries through hosting technical and consultative meetings assisting the countries to have a customized and context-specific intervention through India’sdiverse experience gathered over 2.5 years of implementation of CoWIN.
• Coordinated closely for the successful delegation of the Indonesia team to India visit hosted by UNDP India from 18th to 21st October 2022.
• Participated as National Assessor from GoI, MoHFW, deployed from UNDP for Common Review Mission posted to Delhi State, cEVM assessor to Arunachal Pradesh, and Rota Post introduction evaluation to Karnataka in 2022.
• I am one of the technical experts supporting, and coordinating with the NIMHANS team, from UNDP to the Transgender mental health and Psychosocial Wellbeing module which is under development.

3. Senior Project Officer – UNDP INDIA

• State lead for eVIN and CoWIN projects in the role of a Senior Project officer, for GAVI funded UNDP led Govt of India, MoHFW eVIN project in strengthening Supplychain system of Vaccines and logistics through a digital solution eVIN for real time monitoring of Vaccine stocks supporting the National Immunization programme.
• Supervising &leading a team of 37 members comprising of 31 VaccineCold Chain Managers,4 Project officers- Operations at Regional level. As a Senior Project Officer, from the UNDP front, technically supporting State and District Government in successful implementation of eVIN which is a tool to strengthen Vaccine Logistics Supply chain and cold chain system.
• Key Achievements - Several system strengthening strategies implemented, put systems in place for recording, documenting, follow ups, supportive supervision, building technical capacities for VCCMs and POs, streamlining the supply chain system, training the cold chain handlers, District RCHOs to bring technology close to people so that they use eVIN as the best tool to improvise the existing infrastructure and supply chain system to bringequitable distribution of vaccines.
• Building Data repository of entire cold chain equipment in State – electrical, nonelectrical, vaccine vehicles, HR engaged in cold chain management and their trainingstatus were all collected as part of preparedness strategy prior to COVID 19 Vaccination drive and accordingly the trainings were imparted virtually to all store managers,CCTs and further throughdistrict teams to CCHs.
• My contribution has been there in streamlining the supplies right from SVS to RVS and to DVS, monitoring through the teams of Vaccine availability, rational distribution aiming to reduce the vaccine wastage and to make Immunization programme truly a cost-effective programme.
• Actively led teams in Karnataka for Temperature LoggersInstallation which wouldrecord and monitortemperature remotely and help in strengthening Jun. 2019 - Feb. 2021 Bengaluru, Karnataka cold chain system in State.
• Facilitated and led successfully eVIN trainings and Order management trainings in the State.
• A State level Assessor for Anemia Mukt Bharat – Supply chain assessment programme which was GoI MoHFW drivenassessment.
• Building upon the expertise of supply chain and eVIN, as per State requirement, I was engaged in supporting State in COVID Lab Inventory Management system, actively engaging in designing the trackingtools helping the labs for inventory trackingand for govt to supervise the stocks in the labs.
• In consultation with State government, successfully launched at State, the Ant stigma and Antidiscrimination campaign against COVID 19 and COVID Appropriate behaviors trainings by Commissioner HFWS with a launch of Anti stigma against COVID 19 handbook in Kannada. Wide coverageof these activities was done in print media and in Social Networking sites of State Government.
• In the wake of COVID Vaccination drive which is one of the world’s largest technologically driven Immunization Drive, as a lead development partner in Immunization, representing UNDP, I was involved in supporting GoI and Govt of Karnataka in the successful implementation of COWIN software in Karnataka. I have been engaged right from the planning, execution, training, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of the tasks related to COWIN right from database buildingup to the vaccination of Health care workers, frontline workers,and general citizens.
• eVIN and COWIN projects gave me an opportunity to learn and understand how a digital platform is built and various processes that goes into its designing in alignment with public health programmes. This knowledge has empowered me to successfully implement supporting Government to lead an ambitious programme amidst all challenges taking every move with a Positive attitude and mindset to never give up on any challenging endeavors.

4. As a Surveillance MedicalOfficer of 3 districts (Nellore, Chittoor and Prakasam)operating from NelloreNPSP Unit overseeing Acute flaccid Paralysis (Polio) surveillance and Measles–Rubella surveillance & VPD surveillance. Also held in-charge for Guntur and Krishna districts looking after AFP and MR surveillance for 7months.

• Engaged with multiple stakeholders apart from Government Medical and Health department that is Private practitioners, Medical Colleges (Govt and Private), AYUSH practitioners and quacks as there all part of reporting sites for surveillance.
• Supported districts for strengthening RoutineImmunization and Microplanning.
• Provided technical support, capacity building,conducting monitoring as well as supportive supervision in the areas of RI and Cold chain maintenance. Feb. 2018 - Mar. 2019 Nellore, Andhra Pradesh
• A Master trainer for AndhraPradesh state RI ToT workshopin May 2018, cascading trainingsto incharge Districts to create Districtlevel Master trainers.
• Deployed to Telangana state to Karimnagar NPSP unit to support three districts – Peddapally, Jagitial and Karimnagar for Gram Swaraj Abhiyan – Mission Indradhanush activities and to Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh which is an Aspirational districtto support ExtendedMission Indradhanush under Gram Swaraj Abhiyan.
• Led team to conduct Coverage Evaluation Survey activity as per WHO guidelines along with other deployed SMOs and External monitors (one of its kind) at Nellore district in June 2018 for evaluation of Immunization coverage post Intensified Mission Indradhanush which was in 2017.
• I have coordinated with all 5 districts in the successful implementation of NationalImmunization Day IPPI -2019round.
• Training of all Medical officers on microplanning for NID, reviewing micro plans, field validations, sharing the gaps, feedbackand technically supporting in the urban mapping and demarcation to cover all high-risk areas.
• I have carried over monitoring of NID 2019 by hiring the externalmonitors, timely analysis of monitoring feedbackand sharing with District officialsfor midcourse corrections so that every child is reached with Polio vaccine.
• Key Achievement – All the three districtsof Nellore Unit had the Best Non polio AFP rate >2, indicating the surveillance sensitivity for Polio surveillance

5. District RMNCH+A Consultant supported by UNICEF at Vijayapura District, Karnataka

• Supportive supervision visits to the high deliveryload facilities in the districtto identify the gaps and handhold the staff of the facilityfor improving and facilitate them to close the gaps.
• Worked on Standardization of labor rooms as per Govt of India guidelines (Current LAQSHYA) along with implementation of water and sanitation hygiene (WASH) in the fourteen facilities selected by Central team Delhi and supporting the UNICEF & SVYM WASH-FIT project in the selected 5 facilities in thedistrict.
• As a part of comprehensive effective vaccine management dissemination workshop and taken part in the analyses of the cEVM assessment findings of Karnataka, assisting districts in the preparation of District improvement plan. I was also part of MissionIndradhanush Phase 3, Pulse polio immunization and Intensified diarrheacontrol fortnight which are takingplace at the district.
• Monitoring Districtvaccine store, TalukaVaccine stores and Routine immunization sessions.
• Engaging in preparation of Action plansand sharing the feedback with district officials.
• Technically supporting Special New-born Care Unit located in the district hospital and providing monthly supervision visits to bring it to the level of NNF accreditation along with JNMC Belgaum Pediatrician mentors selected by UNICEF as Vijayapura SNCU is selected for NNF accreditation by state. Aug. 2016 - Dec. 2017 Vijayapura, Karnataka
• Actively involved in strengthening Kangaroo Mother Care ward of DH Vijayapura, providing training, and mentoring to SNCU MOand staff nurses.
• Worked in strengthening NBSUs and KMC services in Taluka hospitalsand high deliveryload FRU-CHCs in HPD Vijayapura District.
• Master trainer for High priority district Vijayapura in Kangaroo Mother care, cold chain management, communication, and mobilization.
• Attended National Conference on Kangaroo Mother care at Hyderabad organized by KMC foundation and UNICEF in February 2017, following which speeded up the efforts of strengthening KMC services to all LBW and SFG babies.
• Active participation and contribution in Measles RubellaVaccination campaign launchedin the Karnataka in February 2017 right from the meetings, trainings, monitoring, and supervision at the district coordinating with district officials, WHO and UNICEF.
• Key Achievement - District HospitalVijayapura has achievedquality certification from National qualityassurance system (NQAS) for 7 departments out of which SNCU, labor room, Maternity ward and Pediatric ward were the areas which I had worked and supported the District Hospital and RCHO providing technical support with constant supervision, feedback, meetings, and monitoring while working as RMNCH+A Consultant.

6. Medical officer – ECHS Polyclinic, Armed forces, Military Hospital Belgaum

I was appointed as a Medical Officer at ECHS Polyclinic Belgaum by Armed forces, serving the unit until I took up post-graduation studies. As a Medical officer, I oversaw handling and managing Clinical cases of ex-servicemen and their dependents. Early diagnosis and prompt referralto higher centersfor management of complicated cases, follow up services, verification of the empaneled hospital bills for furtherprocessing of reimbursement