I love a good meme. From the 2020 Challenge to the “how it started/how it’s going” meme, 2020 has been full of fun ways to celebrate, or commiserate, with each other. For us here at the ACTION Secretariat, 2020 is looking to end pretty well with the arrival of new leadership, and this would be our 2020 meme. It’s been just over a month since Vineeta Gupta MD, J.D., LL.M joined our small team as Secretariat director, and we can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together.
Joanne Carter, chair of the ACTION Leadership Group and executive director of RESULTS Educational Fund, led the recruitment process for a new secretariat director. “Vineeta brings with her an impressive background and an array of experience that will be uniquely valuable in leading the Secretariat of the ACTION Global Health Advocacy Partnership. We look forward to working with her in building and strengthening the Partnership and, through it, critical global health outcomes in the world that are urgently needed now and in the final decade toward the global Sustainable Development Goals. We are thrilled to have her onboard.”
Gupta is a maternal and child health physician, human rights advocate, and a passionate activist for health equity. She has over 20 years of tri-sector experience in leading and supporting projects in more than 25 countries. Before ACTION, Vineeta served as the director at Global Health Advocacy Incubator, leading their work on Resolve to Save Lives. She has held senior positions with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, University Research Co., Global Fund for Children, Campaign on Microbicides, and Global AIDS Alliance.
Gupta has conducted workshops on diversity, inclusion, and health disparities and has been invited to speak in over 60 universities in the U.S and Europe. She has successfully built multisectoral collaborations engaging diverse stakeholders to achieve results. She served on the national council of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) in India. She investigated and reported numerous human rights violations and corruption cases, undertook public interest litigations built upon data and evidence, and published papers on health and human rights. India’s National Human Rights Commission intervened when she faced threats to her life that continued for many years. She received the “Rotary Service to Humanity Award 2001” in recognition of her work in health and human rights and for upholding ethical standards in society. She is widely covered in print and online media and T.V. globally, including Washington Post, The Economic Times, The Hindu, Times of India, Hindustan Times, China Daily, National Public Radio, CNN, and Voice of America.
Gupta developed curriculum and adult training materials for Basic Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (BEmONC) for the capacity strengthening of health providers in Uganda. She also co-authored many capacity-building materials, including professional association strengthening modules and complications of labor and birth.
Gupta is fluent in four languages. She obtained a medical degree and a law degree in India and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Master’s degree in International Human Rights Law from Notre Dame University in the U.S.
Gupta said, “I am very excited at this opportunity to work with and learn from incredible global health leaders. My superpower is in fostering harmonious, inclusive, and equitable partnerships towards common goals while honoring diversity. ACTION partnership of locally rooted organizations around the world advocating for life-saving care for millions of people threatened by preventable diseases is a perfect match for my skills and passions.”
