Sapna Desai BA MS

Research Degree Student Epidemiology and Population Health

My interest and experience is in women's health, community health workers and implementation research, primarily through community-based work in India.  From 2005-2010, I developed and led community health programs in six states of India for SEWA, one of India's largest organisations of women workers in the informal economy.  While at SEWA, I also worked on the integration of microfinance and health, developing linkages with the government to improve outreach of health programs, and implementing a health insurance scheme.  Previously, I worked with Family Health International in India and a health care consulting firm in New York.

I hold an MS in Population and International Health from Harvard University and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Brown University.  I am on the editorial advisory board of Reproductive Health Matters and on the board of UMA, an organisation of women migrant workers in India.

Affiliation

Research

My dissertation research is an evaluation of a community health worker-led health education intervention on women's health in India.  My research is based on a cluster randomised trial, supported by the International Labor Organisation, to assess if health education can affect health insurance claims patterns amongst women insured by SEWA.  I will also conduct qualitative research on women's decision to undergo hysterectomy (a leading reason for use of health insurance) and the process of health education by community health workers.  

Research areas

  • Sexual health
  • Social and structural determinants of health

Disciplines

  • Epidemiology
  • Operational research

Other interests

  • Community Health Workers
  • MARCH
  • Women's health
  • hysterectomy
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