WOMEN'S FORUM
Duration: 3 Hours Sunday, January 11, 2026
“From Pitch to Policy” Leveraging cricket success for disability healthcare reform. Celebrating four visually challenged Women’s Cricket Champions
In November 2025, the Indian Women’s Visually Challenged Cricket Team achieved a historic milestone by winning the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup in Colombo, Sri Lanka. After a dominant, unbeaten tournament run, the team secured the title by defeating Nepal by seven wickets. Four distinguished members of the squad are being honored at the Women’s Forum of the AAPI Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) 2026.
“The Real and the Reel”
“Science, Innovation, Cinema, and the Story of India’s Covid Vaccine Triumph”
Dr. Priya Abraham, MD, PhD
Director, ICMR–National Institute of Virology Currently Professor CMC Vellore – My challenge in the first three months on the job! A new deadly pandemic caused by Covid 19!
Mrs. Pallavi Joshi
National Award–Winning Actress & Producer who plays Dr. Priya Abraham in the movie – How I related to the character and portrayed the challenges of the women scientists in the movie
Mr. Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri
Award winning script writer and Director, “The Vaccine War” – Why it was important to make this movie and educate the public about the crisis of the century and bring forth the brains, sweat and blood behind the success story that was – India beat all the odds and comes out a winner!
Co-Chairs
Kalpalatha Guntupalli, MD FCCP
Endowed Professor, Pulmonary , Critical Care & Sleep Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine Houston ,Texas ,USA
Past President of American College of Chest Physicians USA
Past President, AAPI
Tapti Panda, MD MBA FACOG
Obstetrics Gynecology and Laparoscopic Surgery.
CrystalRun Healthcare-OPTUM
New York , USA
Dr. Sister Aquinas Edassery
Founder Swastya Swaraj Society
Kalahandi, Odisha
Dr. Sanghamitra Pati
Additional Director General, ICMR, New Delhi
Director ICMR-RMRC Bhubaneshwar Odisha
Dr. Ramya Pinnamaneni
Director Public Health Education – KIIT Bhubaneswar Odisha
Divya Kochhar Navani, MD
Founder and CEO Internal Medicine Associates, Orlando, USA.
Women Physicians Chair, AAPI 2024-2025
Dr. Pushpa Rao
Board Member APS Type 1 USA
| WOMEN’S HEALTH, NATION’S WEALTH | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Session | Speaker(s) |
| 9:00 am - 1:00 pm | WOMEN'S FORUM Co-Chair: Kalpalatha Guntupalli, MD FCCP Co-Chair: Tapti Panda MD MBA FACOG |
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| 9:00 am - 9:30 am | Tribal Health – Challenges and Opportunities Dance program by members 15 mins | Dr Sister Aquinas Edassery Founder Swastya Swaraj Society Kalahandi, Odisha |
| 9:30 am - 9:50 am | Medical needs of the tribal communities in India: SCDs in tribals | Dr. Sanghamitra Pati Additional Director General, ICMR, New Delhi Director ICMR-RMRC Bhubaneshwar Odisha |
| 9:50 am - 10:10 am | “Beyond Access” Social and behavioral determinants of women’s health and nutrition in India | Dr. Ramya Pinnamaneni Director Public Health Education-KIIT Bhubaneswar Odisha |
| 10:10 am - 10:30 am | Unmasking Imposter Syndrome: Owning Your Power | Divya Kochhar Navani, MD Founder and CEO Internal Medicine Associates, Orlando, USA Women Physicians Chair, AAPI 2024-2025 |
| 10:30 am - 10:50 am | A Personal Story of Loss: Fight Against Auto Immune Polyglandular Syndrome Type 1 | Dr. Pushpa Rao Board Member APS Type 1 USA |
| 10:50 am - 11:15 am | “From Pitch to Policy” Leveraging the cricket success for disability heathcare reform. Celebrating Four Visually Challenged Cricket Champions India's visually challenged women's cricket team recently made history by winning the inaugural Blind Women's T20 World Cup in November 2025, defeating Nepal by seven wickets in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after an unbeaten tournament run. 4 of the members of this cricket team will be honored at the meeting. |
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| 11:15 am - 11:30 am | Coffee Break | |
| 11:30 am - 1:00 pm | “The Real and the Reel” “Science, Innovation, Cinema, and the Story of India’s Covid Vaccine Triumph” A landmark session that brings together science, cinema, innovation and leadership — celebrating the real heroes behind India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin. This dialogue bridges the laboratory and the lens, exploring how truth and storytelling together shaped one of India’s proudest public health achievements. | Dr. Priya Abraham, MD, PhD Director, ICMR–National Institute of Virology Currently Professor CMC Vellore – My challenge in the first three months on the job! A new deadly pandemic caused by Covid 19! |
| Mrs. Pallavi Joshi National Award–Winning Actress & Producer who plays Dr. Priya Abraham in the movie – How I related to the character and portrayed the challenges of the women scientists in the movie |
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| Mr. Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri Award winning script writer and Director, “The Vaccine War” - Why it was important to make this movie and educate the public about the crisis of the century and bring forth the brains, sweat and blood behind the success story that was – India beat all the odds and comes out a winner! |
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