Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Can we conquer tuberculosis? | Shelly Batra | TEDxWBG

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Shelly wants to end TB once and for all. She says it is an ancient scourge and a contemporary disaster. She talks about the simple and innovative model used by Operation ASHA to deliver TB treatments in remote areas and how this idea has been successfully scaled across India and to Cambodia and Uganda.

Dr. Shelly Batra co-founded Operation ASHA and has led the organization as President since 2005. Shelly was selected Social Entrepreneur for the year 2014 by the Schwab Foundation. She is an Ashoka Changemarker and a best-selling Penguin author. She is a highly renowned Senior Obstetrician and Gynecologist in New Delhi, India. Her dedication to ‘reaching the unreached’ started in 1991, when she went into the heart of the slums in Delhi, providing pro-bono life-saving treatment, operations, consultations, medicines and counseling. Shelly has taught on Global Health Issues and has lectured at major universities such as the University of Chicago, Harvard, UC Berkeley and Cambridge. Shelly has been the recipient of multiple awards and recognitions, including the Exemplary Contribution Award for selfless work for the underserved, given by the Indian Medical Association. She holds an M.D. from King George’s Medical College, India. She is a powerful advocate for better policies in TB across the world.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)