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Anant Bhan
Researcher, Bioethics, Mental Health. Global Health, Health Policy. Past President, International Association of Bioethics (2017-19). Mentor & Investigator, Sangath Bhopal Hub
Anant Bhan is a prominent global health researcher and bioethicist who serves in multiple roles at Sangath India, particularly at its Bhopal Hub.12 He is trained as a medical doctor with a master's degree in bioethics from the University of Toronto.12
Professional Background
Dr. Bhan has over 18 years of experience in global health, health policy, and bioethics.2 He currently holds several positions at Sangath India:
- Mentor
- Principal Investigator
- Site-Principal Investigator
- Project Lead3
In these roles, he oversees multiple grants and projects at the Sangath Bhopal Hub.3
Academic and Research Contributions
Dr. Bhan's work focuses on various aspects of health and ethics, including:
- Ethics and equity in health
- Mental health
- Digital health
- Public health ethics
- Research ethics
- Community engagement
- Ethics of innovative technologies
- Ethics training for professionals1
He has numerous publications to his name and serves as a resource person for trainings in global health, research methodology, and ethics.2 Dr. Bhan is also an Adjunct Visiting Professor at Yenepoya (deemed to be University) in India.1
Leadership and Affiliations
Anant Bhan has held significant leadership positions in the field of bioethics:
- Immediate Past President of the International Association of Bioethics (2017-2019)12
- Member of several committees related to health and ethics2
Current Projects
At Sangath, Dr. Bhan is involved in various research projects, including:
- Positive psychology interventions for ASHA workers' well-being
- Digital health studies for relapse prevention
- Developing scalable digital programs for stress reduction and mental health promotion
- Research on disability access to public health facilities
- Studies on LGBTQIA+ inclusive healthcare and transgender persons' experiences in accessing healthcare2
Dr. Bhan is also active in public engagement, regularly writing for mass media, participating in webinars and TV shows, and sharing scientific information through social media channels.2
Highlights
Quoted in this story of the role of Indian innovation supported by @DBTIndia @BIRAC_2012 in developing this first made-in-India antibiotic
Was part of a panel on “Strategies Regarding Suicide Prevention in Youth” which was convened on World Suicide Prevention Day #WSPD2024 organized AIIMS Bhopal by the Department of Psychiatry Dr. Ashish Pakhre and Dr Vijender Singh Abhijit Rozatkar The panel presented various facets, including from the student and residents perspectives, educator perspectives, provider perspectives as well as policy perspectives on the issue. I tried to highlight the overarching public mental health importance of the topic, using data and also the important role all of us as stakeholders need to play. The triennial theme for World Suicide Prevention Day for 2024-2026 is "Changing the Narrative on Suicide" with the call to action "Start the Conversation" As a reminder, according to WHO, 703 000 lives were lost to suicide in 2019—ie, 1925 per day, or one every 45 seconds. Over three-quarters (77%) of these suicides occurred in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). These figures are likely to underestimate the real situation. We also specifically also need to speak about the high rates of suicide in the health profession I also highlighted two innovative projects in India focusing on suicide prevention- OUTLIVE and SPIRIT Sangath India Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy, ILS, Pune
