On the 22nd of February, 2025, LEPRA Society celebrated recipients of the 2nd K.V. Desikan Memorial Award. This year, the award was jointly given to Mrs. Nandita Venkatesan and Dr. Pawan Agarwal, for their outstanding and inspiring work on tuberculosis and leprosy, respectively.
The K.V. Desikan Memorial Award recognizes individuals and/or organisations who have made significant contributions in the field of infectious diseases, in community health/ development/rehabilitation and/or the laboratory sciences.
Mrs. Nandita Venkatesan received the 2025 award for her distinctive work in tuberculosis and has emerged as one of the world’s most formidable voices in the fight against inequities in access to tuberculosis treatment, especially drug-resistant tuberculosis. A recent graduate from Oxford University, Nandita has leveraged her personal battle with TB to champion the rights of patients worldwide. She has raised awareness about stigma, inequity, and drug accessibility, a
dvocating for patient-centred policies on global platforms, including the 2018 United Nations High-Level Meeting on tuberculosis. Nandita played a pivotal role in a patent challenge against drug manufacturers, to end monopolies on the critical anti TB drug Bedaquiline, thereby ensuring greater access to the drug. Her commitment to the community empowerment initiative, Bolo Didi (Say Sister), has resulted in providing much needed guidance and support to TB patients. The initiative has helped TB patients in getting accurate diagnoses, as well as informal counselling to help cope with side effects of anti TB drugs.
Professor Pawan Agarwal, from the Government Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur, also received the 2025 award and is recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to leprosy rehabilitation. With over 20 years of experience, Professor Agarwal has developed an innovative nerve transfer surgery, the “Saphenous nerve to posterior tibial nerve transfer,” which restores sole sensation in leprosy-affected individuals. This surgical breakthrough has transformed the live s of over 250 leprosy patients, significantly reducing their risk of ulcers, deformities, and disability. This technique has been published in peer reviewed journals, and his expertise has been sought extensively. His commitment to surgical innovation has resulted in a pioneering surgical approach to neuropathic foot management in leprosy care.
About the Award
Instituted by LEPRA in the year 2023, the K.V. Desikan Memorial Award recognizes individuals and/or organisations who have made significant contributions in the field of infectious diseases, in community health/ development/rehabilitation and/or the laboratory sciences. Dr K.V. Desikan, formerly Director of the Central JALMA Institute for Leprosy, Agra, and subsequently, Chairman of LEPRA India, was a legend in the field of leprosy. He passed away on 23rd October, 2022, at the age of 96. His work encompassed the entire spectrum of leprosy: descriptive epidemiology, diagnostics, histopathology, immunology, physiology, therapy a nd simple clinical observations; and is acknowledged with the respect that it deserves.
