Vineeta Gupta
American human rights activist and philanthropist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vineeta Gupta is an Indian-born American human rights activist and philanthropist.[1][2][3] She is the founder and director of the Stop HIV/AIDS in India Initiative (SHAII).[4][5][6]
Vineeta Gupta | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Education | Notre Dame University |
| Occupations | Human rights activist, philanthropist, and former government medical officer |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Employer | Stop HIV/AIDS in India Initiative (SHAII) |
| Known for | Founder of Stop HIV/AIDS in India Initiative (SHAII) and litigation in Vineeta Gupta v. State of Punjab |
| Title | Executive Director |
| Website | vineetagupta |
Early life and education
Gupta was born in India, where she earned a medical degree and law degree.[7] Later, she attended Notre Dame University, where she graduated with a master's degree in international human rights law.[8][9]
Career
Gupta began her career as a government medical officer working in slums.[10] During her career, she served as a medical services class officer in Punjab during the 1990s and worked for the People's Union for Civil Liberties, where she attempted to take a stand against corruption.[11][10][3] In the case Vineeta Gupta vs. State of Punjab, she argued against the use of instruments of torture in CIA offices, interrogation centers and police stations in Punjab, and won.[12] She was illegally detained in 2001 for opposing the closure of a hospital in Punjab.[13] A human rights report by Amnesty International, documented the Punjab governments harassment of Gupta for challenging injustice.[13]
Gupta founded the Stop HIV/AIDS in India Initiative (SHAII) to tackle the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in India.[9][8][14] Prior to founding SHAII, she was the secretary general of Insaaf International.[9]
From 2020 to 2022, Gupta served as a secretariat director of the ACTION Global Health Advocacy.[8][14][15] Prior to joining ACTION, she was the Director at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator.[9]
In 2022, Gupta joined the Network for Public Health Law as an executive director.[16]
Gupta helps develop accessible healthcare systems, affordable generic medications, with a particular emphasis on gender sensitivity. She is also known for her work opposing amendments to the Indian Patents Act that could restrict access to generic medicines.[7][17]