Ms Blessina Kumar

Blessina Kumar is a health activist with a bachelor's degree in nursing and midwifery and a postgraduate studies in health systems management and advanced TB Diagnostics and Research. She has worked with varied communities across India and Sudan. She has endeavored to bridge the patient – practitioner divide through patient literacy at community level and policy advocacy at macro level.

Blessina's last 15 years have been focused on TB, building capacity of affected community members and advocating for their inclusion in TB policy and implementation bodies, globally. Community indicators are showing up in country reports on TB, a significant impact of her leadership and advocacy. Blessina has used every opportunity, policy meetings, country meetings, to push for inclusion of community representatives.

Presently, Blessina heads the Global Coalition of TB Advocates, a body that is in the forefront to ensure people centered and rights based TB response. In India she has lead the civil society movement against TB, lobbied decision makers and worked with parliamentarians to raise TB awareness among them for better care and support.