Dr Sema Sgaier

Dr Sema Sgaier-Image

Dr. Sema Sgaier is Co-founder and Executive Director of Surgo Foundation, a privately-funded ‘action tank’ whose goal is to generate behavioral insights and translate them into tools for transformative and accountable development programmes. Sema is Assistant Adjunct Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Affiliate Assistant Professor, Global Health at the University of Washington. Previously, Sema worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), where she led a portfolio on voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention across eastern and southern Africa. As part of BMGF’s India Country Office, Sema led the scale-up of its HIV prevention programme (Avahan) in several states and managed its transition to the Government of India. Sema received her PhD in cellular and molecular biology from New York University and her MA in neuroscience from Brown University. She was selected as a Rising Talent by the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society.


Articles by Dr Sema Sgaier


People standing in line getting their temperature checked by a person wearing a PPE kit-response to COVID-19 second wave

জুন 1, 2021
India’s COVID-19 response limited by strong urban and tech bias
India's response to the second wave of COVID-19 glosses over the lack of infrastructure and technology know-how in rural India.
a group of three women, one man, and a child standing_Sukarma Foundation_covid19 surge in rural madhya pradesh

মে 31, 2021
Understanding the COVID-19 surge in rural Madhya Pradesh
Physical distancing is still a dream and vaccine hesitancy the norm. Here’s what the COVID-19 surge looks like in Narsinghpur district, Madhya Pradesh.
A cartoon of a student writing the alphabets-nonprofit life_cartoon courtesy-Rachita Vora

মে 31, 2021
This nonprofit life Ep 14 | Learning the alphabet
A cartoon series that captures the joys and travails of life in the development sector.
doctor and patient as part of COVID-19 response

মে 27, 2021
What can we learn from Jharkhand’s COVID-19 response?
Jharkhand has taken additional COVID-19 response protocols to curb the surge. Here are some implementation challenges and suggestions on a way forward.
A person holding a vaccine bottle and syringe-picture courtesy-Flickr

মে 25, 2021
India’s COVID-19 vaccine drive is excluding millions of citizens
The government's recently published guidelines for vaccinating vulnerable groups are inadequate, and risk excluding the very people they are meant to benefit.
group of people standing in front of a wall which has a slogan about social distancing painted on it-NGOs

মে 24, 2021
What can nonprofits do to tackle COVID-19 in central India?
The window of opportunity to stop preventable deaths is narrow, but doable. Here are some steps that nonprofits can take to tackle rising COVID-19 cases in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh.
Image 11_ a person holding a clear packet of water_picture courtesy-Suraj Katra

মে 19, 2021
Photo essay: What is the price of water in the city of Mumbai?
Poor water governance has cut off several residents from Mumbai's water system, making equal access to all a distant dream.
a migrant worker reading a booklet on bonded labour-migrant workers' rights

মে 18, 2021
The issue is exploitation, not migration
Migrant workers' rights to wages, healthcare, and justice systems must be secured.
oxygen cylinders standing stacked in a warehouse

মে 17, 2021
Everyone is funding oxygen. This is a problem.
Media attention on COVID-19 deaths due to a lack of oxygen in big cities has skewed donor priorities. This is impacting relief efforts on the ground.
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