Dr. Rakesh Kumar

Dr. Rakesh Kumar

Associate Professor

Centre for Community Medicine

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Dr. Rakesh Kumar is currently working as Associate Professor at Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He has extensive experience in epidemiological research, teaching and training in public health and community medicine, operational research, programme management, program development and policy inputs in India as well as in other countries of South Asia region. He has been involved in implementing community-based influenza vaccine trial, and other epidemiological studies on acute respiratory infections. He is the member of AIIMS Technical Support Unit which supports Registrar General of India in Sample Registration System based conduct of verbal autopsies.  

Area of interest

1. Infectious diseases epidemiology with focus on tuberculosis and acute respiratory infections
2. Mortality surveillance systems

Recent Publications

1. Chandra A, Kumar R*, Kant S, Krishnan A. Diagnostic pathways and delays in initiation of treatment among newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients in Ballabgarh, India. Accepted for publication in  American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
2. Kumar S, Purakayastha DR, Kapil A, Saha S, Dawood FS, Das BK, Amarchand R, Kumar R, Lafond KE, Jain S, Krishnan A.Carriage rates and antimicrobial sensitivity of pneumococci in the upper respiratory tract of children less than ten years old, in a north Indian rural community. Plos One 2021 Feb 4;16(2):e0246522.
3. Dwivedi R, Kumar R. Postgraduate training requires urgent reforms to deal with future pandemics. J R Coll Physicians Edinb 2020;50:360-61.
4. Krishnan A, Gupta V, Nongkynrih B, Kumar R, Kaur R, Malhotra S, Salve HR, Narayan V, Gupta A; MINErVA Network†. Mortality in India established through verbal autopsies (MINErVA). Strengthening national mortality surveillance systems in India. J Glob health 2020;10: :020431.
5. Kumar R*, Krishnan A, Singh M, Singh UB, Singh A, Guleria R. Acceptability and adherence to Peanut-based energy-dense nutritional supplement among adult malnourished pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Ballabgarh block of Haryana, India. Food Nutr Bull 2020; 41:438-45.
6. Parthasarathy R, Kumar R, Gopal G, Amarchand R, Broor S, Choudekar A, Purakayastha DR, Wahi A, Narayan VV, Krishnan A.  Incidence and clinical features of viral sore throat among children in rural Haryana, India.  J Family Med Prim Care. 2020;9:5136-41. 
7. Kumar R*, Kant S, Chandra A, Krishnan A. Tobacco use and nicotine dependence among newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Ballabgarh tuberculosis unit, Haryana. J Family Med Prim Care 2020;9:2860-5
8. Chandra A, Kumar R*, Kant S, Parthasarathy R, Krishnan A. Direct and indirect patient costs of tuberculosis care in India. Trop Med Int Health 2020; 2020 April 19. Doi: 10.1111/tmi.13402
9. Wang X, Li Y, O'Brien KL, Madhi SA, Widdowson MA, Byass P, Omer SB, Respiratory Virus Global Epidemiology Network. Global burden of respiratory infections associated with seasonal influenza in children under 5 years in 2018: a systematic review and modelling study. Lancet Glob Health. 2020 Apr;8(4):e497-e510. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30545-5.
10. Krishnan A, Kumar R, Broor S, Gopal G, Saha S, Amarchand R, Choudekar A, Purkayastha DR, Whitaker B, Pandey B, Narayan VV, Kabra SK, Sreenivas V, Widdowson MA, Lindstrom S, Lafond KE, Jain S. Epidemiology of viral acute lower respiratory infections in a community-based cohort of rural north Indian children. J Glob Health. 2019 Jun;9(1):010433. 
11. Kumar S, Gosain M Sharma H^,  Swetts E^,  Amarchand R, Kumar R, Lafond KE, Dawood FS, Jain S, Widdowson MA, Read JM, Krishnan A. Who interacts with whom? Social mixing insights from a rural population in India. PLoS One. 2018 Dec 21;13(12):e0209039
12. Kumar R, Amarchand R, Narayan VV, Saha S, Lafond KE, Kapoor SK, Dar L, Jain S, Krishnan A. Challenges in conducting a community-based influenza vaccine trial in a rural community in northern India. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2018 Apr 4:1-5. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1460182.

 

Current research projects as Principal Investigator/Co-investigator  

1. Sero-prevalence of novel coronavirus infection (SARS CoV-19) among select high risk groups (healthcare workers, older adults) in Ballabgarh block of Haryana, India
2. Effect of glycemic status on initial presentation and treatment response in new diagnosed sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients: a prospective study
3. A Phase III, Randomized, Double-blind, Three arm Placebo controlled study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of two vaccines VPM1002 and Immuvac (Mw) in Preventing Tuberculosis (TB) in Healthy Household Contacts of Newly Diagnosed Sputum Positive Pulmonary TB patients
4. Efficacy of Energy Dense Nutritional Supplement (EDNS) as adjunct to standard DOTS therapy in improving treatment outcomes in malnourished newly diagnosed sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis adult patients
5. Determinants of Mortality due to COVID in India
6. Strengthening Evidence-based Advocacy for Influenza Prevention and Control in India
7. Advancing biomedical interventions for prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) disease in under-five children: India Case study
8. Reducing premature mortality due to CVDs – identification of delays and

barriers to acute cardiac care in NCR