Prof. Dr. Joe Thomas

 

Erik Solheim

Senior Advisor – Health and SDGs

 

Designation -

 MSc, PhD, an accomplished academic, diplomat and a global leader in Public Health, Rights and Social Development

 

Bio Description –

Dr Joe Thomas (MSc, PhD), an accomplished academic, diplomat and a global leader in Public Health, Rights and Social Development. He has been active in Global Health and Social Development for more than 25 years. He comes with excellent leadership qualities and has a deeper understanding of the global dimension of social development. He has extensive and exhaustive technical expertise in reproductive health and health rights, emergencies; experience in analysing data and reports. He has proven excellent experience in administration and management of complex multi-stakeholder projects and correctly as applied to high-level strategic engagements; and proven expertise in a cross-cutting, multi-cultural work environment in Africa, and Asia regions.

Dr Thomas worked as the Executive Director of an intergovernmental organisation of 26 governments – Partners in Population and Development (PPD). In this capacity he represented PPD at the UN General Assembly in New York and the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva; spoke at the UN General Assembly on issues related Antimicrobial Resistance, Sustainable development goals, migration and refugee compact and South-South Cooperation. Reported to a high-power board of directors – 26 ministers of 26 member countries. Chaired by the Minister for Health of the Government of China and the Vice-Chair was the Health Minister of India.
Dr Thomas has hosted the following International Inter-Ministerial Conferences. “Sustainable Cities, Human Mobility and International Migration” in November 2017 at Yogyakarta, Indonesia; “Priority Population and Development Challenges in the Context of SDGs” in November 2016 in Dakar, Senegal; “Every Woman Every Child Every Adolescent: a South-South Perspective on Survive, Thrive and Transform” in November 2015 in Dhaka, Bangladesh; “Demographic Dividend” in November 2014 in New Delhi, India; “Post-ICPD and MDGs” in October 2013 in Beijing, China; “Evidence for Action: South-South Collaboration for ICPD beyond 2014” in November 2012 in Dhaka Bangladesh.

In addition to the above International Inter-Ministerial Conferences, the following strategic meetings were also organised: 5 Ministerial level Board Meetings, in Bangladesh (2012), China (2013), India (2014), Bangladesh (2015) and Senegal (2016); nine high-level ministerial EXCOM Meetings, hosted in Bangladesh (2012 & 2015), Uganda (2013), China (2013, 2015 & 2016), Zimbabwe (2014), India (2014) and Senegal (2016); seven Senior officials-Program Committee Meetings, hosted in Bangladesh (2012 & 2015), Uganda (2013), China (2013), Zimbabwe (2014), India (2014) and Senegal (2016); seven Senior officials – Finance Committee Meetings, hosted in Bangladesh (2012 & 2015), Uganda (2013), China (2013), Zimbabwe (2014), India (2014) and Senegal (2016); six-Senior Officials – PPD Country coordinators Meetings, hosted in Bangladesh (2012 & 2014); China (2013 & 2015), India (2014) and Senegal (2016). Dr Thomas was the Organizing Secretary of the 12th International Congress on AIDS in the Asia Pacific.

Dr Thomas was the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, the Founding Director and Professor of Social Determinants of Health and Social Policy at the Jodhpur National University. In that capacity, he has supervised PhD Students and created a scholarship program for about 150 staff from the Ministry of Public Health of the Government of Afghanistan to do their MPH course.

Worked as a Consultant to the Premier's office, Provincial Government Kwazulu Natal, South Africa to assess Premiers flagship programme for poverty reduction, health equity and youth and women’s empowerment. With UNAIDS; he carried out “Engaging an Enemy Within HIV response of Indian paramilitary forces; A case study of the ‘Assam Rifles’”. With UNDP Mongolia, he carried out International STI/ HIV/AIDS Assessment. With Action Aid Asia Regional Office. Bangkok. Prepared a regional strategy based on the regional situation assessment report “Time to Act”.

Dr Thomas is the Founding Director-General of Global Commission on Ageing in Developing Countries as the Director of UNAIDS Technical Support Facility- Dr Thomas has Developed dynamic networks with Global Fund, WB, UNHCR, IOM, UNAIDS, UNFPA and UNICEF. Dr Thomas has lived and worked and carried out consultancies in India, Hong Kong, China, Australia, East Timor, Nepal, Bangladesh, Mongolia, South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi, Geneva, UK and travelled to another 50 countries. He has worked as Advisor and Short-Term consultant to WHO on several projects.

Dr Thomas is currently, working as the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Social Innovation, Partnerships and co-creation, at the MIT World Peace University, where he is supervision the establishment of 10 new schools.

Dr Thomas is also currently engaged with the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) as a consultant. ‘To develop a Strategic Plan for WHO SEARO to promote actions that require political leadership from member states and health diplomacy and cooperation between them for reducing the burden of communicable diseases in South East Asia Region.’
 
 
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