Professor Rakesh Aggarwal

Rakesh Aggarwal is currently working as Chair for Disease Elimination with the Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India. After obtaining his medical degree, he trained in Internal Medicine followed by Gastroenterology in India, in laboratory techniques at CDC, Atlanta, USA, and in epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. He previously worked as Professor of Gastroenterology at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India and as Director, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India. His main area of research has been liver disease, in particular epidemiologic, clinical, molecular and immunologic aspects of viral hepatitis. 

In the field of vaccine science, he has served as member of the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) during 2017-2022, and chair of WHO SAGE’s working groups on human papillomavirus vaccine, and on hepatitis A vaccine, and member of WHO SAGE’s working groups on hepatitis B vaccines, hepatitis E vaccine, influenza vaccines, dengue virus and yellow fever vaccines. He chairs the WHO South-East Asia region’s Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (SEAR-ITAG; 2023-2029).  

In relation to viral hepatitis, he is a member of the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STAG-HHS), and has served on WHO SEAR Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Viral Hepatitis, HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, WHO SEAR Expert Panel for Verification of Hepatitis B Control (since 2019), and has helped prepare national hepatitis plans and strategies for several SEAR countries.  

He is also a member of India’s National Technical Advisory Group of Immunization, and chair of its working groups on surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases, and on Monkeypox vaccines, as also chair of the Government of India’s Signal Review Panel for adverse effects following immunization.