He
is a pediatrician with more than 30 years of experience,
having done his MD (Ped.) in 1976 and committed to building
up issues around supporting women to succeed in optimal
breastfeeding practices. Motivated by his strong belief,
and noticing that problems started more often in health
systems, he mobilized a group of pediatricians to engage
into founding of the national network - named Breastfeeding
Promotion Network of India(BPNI) in 1991. He gave up his
lucrative private practice (owner of a 30 bedded children's
hospital in Jalandhar, Punjab) and moved to Delhi in 1990,
and a formal BPNI was born in 1991.
First few years he acted as a part time advisor/worker/implementer/manager/administrator
etc. etc. and in 1998 he gave up his clinical assignments
in Delhi, and fully moved into building the BPNI to raise
it to the current heights in 16 years' time. BPNI is now
recognized as a premier and a pioneer institution to support
the governments and others on technical and other related
issues.
He
has single-handedly led this movement through BPNI to put
breastfeeding on national and political agenda. Mobilized
a network of more than 3500 people in the volunteer breastfeeding
movement build a strong opinion on the issue of infant survival
and development in the country. His contribution to building
this institution has been recognized by other countries
also, where he has been able to influence policy and legal
frameworks. more>> |
Dr. Arun Gupta, MD (Ped), FIAP
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