BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI: Cardiologist and President of Heart Care Foundation of India Dr K K Aggarwal has taken over as president of the Confederation of Medical Association of Asia and Oceania (CMAAO) for two years.

He took over from Past President Dr Ravinder Naidu from Malaysia at the 34th CMAAO General Assembly and 55th Council Meeting held in Goa on September 5.

Dr Aggarwal has been the recipient of three national awards -- the Padam Shri, Dr BC Roy National Award and DST National Science Communication Award.

Given his diverse experience and stand on preventive and universal healthcare, Dr Aggarwal will help add value to the world healthcare landscape.

Among other multifarious roles, Dr Aggarwal has been the past national president of the Indian Medical Association, first vice president of CMAAO and advisor to the ethics committee, World Medical Association.

Dr Aggarwal, said, “There are several public health challenges today such as vector-borne diseases; communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs); antimicrobial resistance (AMR); tobacco use; HIV/AIDS, etc.”

He stated, “Violence against doctors and inequity in health are few other issues that are a concern. Attaining universal health coverage, which is affordable, accessible, available, appropriate and accountable, remains a distant goal for many of us. This can only be addressed and prioritized when we consider the concept of One Health.”

Dr Aggarwal’s appointment assumes significance given his rich background and the fact that this will bring India to the center stage of world healthcare engagement.