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Remembering Dr. Vulimiri Ramalingaswami by Kul Gautam

On his 104th birthday today (8 August 2025), I recall with great nostalgia my esteemed guru, the late Dr. Vulimiri Ramalingaswami. Rama was a world-class public health leader, a multifaceted professional recognized for his work as a physician, educator, humanist, administrator, and research scientist. We valued his advice and guidance greatly when he served as Special Advisor to UNICEF Executive Director James Grant in the 1980s. I had the pleasure to collaborate with him when I served as UNICEF's Special Representative in India in 1997.


One of the many great pieces of analytical work he did for UNICEF (jointly with Urban Jonsson and Jon Rohde) was an essay on "The Asian Enigma" that compared the high rate of malnutrition in South Asia compared to sub-Saharan Africa. A key finding of this research was that - despite other advantages - the role and status of women and girls in South Asia was lower than in SSA, which led to a higher rate of maternal & child malnutrition.


Besides being a great professional, Rama was a man of great compassion, dignity and humility - a truly legendary figure!


Kul
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