In an effort to support the development of a diverse pool of women leaders in global health, the Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI) and the Women and Health Initiative (W&HI) within the Global Health and Population Department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health offers the Harvard LEAD Fellowship for Promoting Women in Global Health, a year-long program designed to advance the leadership skills of talented global health leaders from low- and middle-income countries who are committed to the mentorship of future women leaders in medicine and public health.
Preethi John, Director, Chitkara Global Health Institute has been chosen for the 2021 Cohort of Harvard LEAD Fellowship for promoting women in Global Health. She is a health and development management professional with 25 years of experience in public and private sector organizations. Her expertise and experience have groomed her as a leader and institution builder. Her career track started with the Institute of Health Management PACHOD, Pune, India where she was able to contribute to the spectrum of rural and urban healthcare management and action research programs. A long stint at Aravind Eye Care System (A WHO Collaborating Centre) enabled her to gain expertise in capacity building of healthcare human resources from developing countries across South Asia, Africa, and Latin America. At Chitkara University, Punjab, India she got the opportunity to pilot a model for the development of allied health professionals and establish the Chitkara School of Health Sciences as its Founder Dean.
“It is a privilege and honour to be a Harvard LEAD Fellow and I expect it will offer a life-changing transformative experience. I hope to utilise this period to expand my leadership skills to not only build sustainable institutes but also further enhance my capability in mentoring and capacity building. It would be my dream if this could inspire and motivate several others to join the women in the global health movement and strengthen the resilience of the health system. The learning I will get from world-class resources at Harvard will not only develop my calibre to be a better teacher, trainer, and researcher but also equip me to give back to my organisation, healthcare professionals, women, and to India” said Preethi.
She also serves as Advisory Board Member to Health and Development NGOs and is the Co-Founder of the Women in Global Health India Chapter. She holds a Ph.D. from IIT Madras and a postgraduate degree from TISS, Mumbai, India.
She further added, “I am grateful to Chitkara University for the relentless support and the freedom to explore one’s potential, to Dr. Madhu Chitkara for being a great role model for all women and Dr. Ashok Chitkara for the vision he provides to improve higher education.”
