Opinion Pieces
Publications
1. Why the twin epidemics of mental health and TB must be tackled together and how it can be done
September 4, 2024 – Scroll.in
2. The kids are not all right – the challenges of youth mental health in India
May 31, 2024 – Scroll.in3. Putting people at the centre of care is the surest path towards eradicating tuberculosis
April 18, 2024 – Scroll.in4. Meaningfully engaged communities are the key to ending TB
5. Long overdue short-term regimen for TB set to be a game changer
March 12, 2024 – The Hindu
6. The syndemic of tuberculosis and mental health
March 1, 2024 – The Hindu
1. TB control in India calls for person-centred solutions
July 3, 2023 – The Hindu
2. To build queer-inclusive and diverse work spaces, companies must do more than wave the pride flag
December 18, 2023 – Scroll.in3. By focusing on queer mental health, educational institutes can help build an empathetic future
4. Invisible Indians – sex workers, bar dancers, trans men and women – and lessons from HIV epidemic
December 1, 2023 – The Indian Express5. How governments and global aid agencies use TB as a political tool
November 16, 2023 – Scroll.in6. Indian Supreme Court’s hollow verdict on same-sex marriage reiterates inequality of queer people
October 20, 2023 – Scroll.in7. Pride Month: Addressing mental health concerns, substance use among the queer community is crucial
June 26, 2023 – Scroll.in8. Black, white and dead: The court battle for marriage equality resonates beyond those alive
May 19, 2023 – Scroll.in9. With new drugs and the experience of COVID-19, there has never been a better time to eradicate TB
April 27, 2023 – Scroll.in10. The bigotry of a few cannot deny a history of same-sex unions, nor violate the principles of justice
March 28, 2023 – Scroll.in1. The importance of affordable healthcare for all and other key lessons from the pandemic
December 29, 2022 – Scroll.in2. No community voices yet in community engagement on TB
May 24, 2022 – The Hindu3. India must fine-tune its strategy to eliminate tuberculosis
April 5, 2022 – The Hindu4. Nutritional security is vital in the fight against TB
February 19, 2022 – The Hindu5. Violence, stigma and identity: Why the queer mental health crisis requires attention
June 13, 2022 – Scroll.in6. 'Hum Dekhenge': The verses of Faiz may have been dropped, but the essence of his ideas will endure
April 30, 2022 – Scroll.in7. Faiz teaches us to question. His work shouldn't be erased from syllabus
April 28, 2022 – The Indian Express8. TB survivors should have been central to redesigning care policies, not reduced to an afterthought
March 26, 2022 – Scroll.in9. How wrong TB diagnosis destroyed three years of my life
March 24, 2022 – The Times of India10. In India's battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, TB care has suffered collateral damage
March 9, 2022 – Scroll.in11. If India can build a new Capital complex during a pandemic, why couldn't we plan better for Omicron?
January 14, 2022 – Scroll.in1. Remembering Saleem Kidwai: Friend, scholar, queer rights activist
September 3, 2021 – The Indian Express2. Settling India's COVID-19 mortality data
3. An ordinary Indian’s day during the pandemic
May 4, 2021 – The Indian Express4. India's manmade Covid-19 crisis and what we can do about it
April 24, 2021 – Scroll.in5. Pandemic is an opportunity to re-imagine TB care
March 27, 2021 – The Indian Express1. Building trust in vaccines
August 23, 2020 – The Hindu2. Even as Covid-19 is still around, tuberculosis remains India’s biggest health crisis
December 31, 2020 – Scroll.in3. From Dharavi to São Paulo's favelas, a COVID-19 response must engage the communities that live there
May 7, 2020 – Scroll.in4. Covid-19 stigma is a major roadblock in India's path to recovery. Here's how to beat it
April 17, 2020 – Scroll.in5. In India's response, a communications failure
May 15, 2020 – The Hindu6. Next Barrier After COVID-19: Stigma and Discrimination in the Time of Pandemic
April 2, 2020 – The Wire7. TB and coronavirus: A curable and incurable crisis
March 24, 2020 - in The Hindu.1. The Section 377 judgment could be a victory for public health, if India’s health system steps up
September 7, 2018 – Scroll.in2. Beyond Section 377: LGBTQI Rights
July 16, 2018 – The Indian Express3. Listen to the survivor
March 24, 2018 – The Indian Express4. Why the patient's perspective matters
March 18, 2018 – The Hindu1. Diagnosing Me With TB, Doctor Spoke to Me Like I Was Uneducated
March 23, 2017 – The Quint2. The TB Time Bomb
March 24, 2017 - The Hindu1. Queer love in Delhi: A book of photographs explores desire and longing in the Capital
December 20, 2016 – Scroll.in
2. Battling Drug-Resistant TB, and the Indian Government
September 2, 2016 – The New York Times
3. India's Supreme Court Decriminalizes Homosexuality
July 17, 2016 – BBC News
4. Why free medicines can transform TB management
July 14, 2016 - The Hindu.
5. India's Supreme Court Upholds Section 377, Criminalising Homosexuality​
June 29, 2016 – BBC News
6. Dear Supreme Court, please sort out your problems about sexual identities and sexual desire
April 15, 2016 – Scroll.in
7. The importance of listening to patients
April 13, 2016 – The Hindu
March 24, 2016 - The Hindu
1. World TB Day: Why access to accurate diagnostic services continues to be a problem in India
March 24, 2025 – Scroll.in​
2. Long overdue, short-term regimen for TB set to be a game changer
Jan 17, 2025 – The Hindu3. Community-led framework addressing twin epidemics of TB and mental health released
Jan 29, 2025 – The Hindi4. Meaningfully engaged communities are the key to ending TB
1. Why the twin epidemics of mental health and TB must be tackled together and how it can be done
September 4, 2024 – Scroll.in
2. The kids are not all right – the challenges of youth mental health in India
May 31, 2024 – Scroll.in3. Putting people at the centre of care is the surest path towards eradicating tuberculosis
April 18, 2024 – Scroll.in4. The syndemic of tuberculosis and mental health
March 1, 2024 – The Hindu
1. TB control in India calls for person-centred solutions
July 3, 2023 – The Hindu
2. To build queer-inclusive and diverse work spaces, companies must do more than wave the pride flag
December 18, 2023 – Scroll.in3. By focusing on queer mental health, educational institutes can help build an empathetic future
4. Invisible Indians – sex workers, bar dancers, trans men and women – and lessons from HIV epidemic
December 1, 2023 – The Indian Express5. How governments and global aid agencies use TB as a political tool
November 16, 2023 – Scroll.in6. Indian Supreme Court’s hollow verdict on same-sex marriage reiterates inequality of queer people
October 20, 2023 – Scroll.in7. Pride Month: Addressing mental health concerns, substance use among the queer community is crucial
June 26, 2023 – Scroll.in8. Black, white and dead: The court battle for marriage equality resonates beyond those alive
May 19, 2023 – Scroll.in9. With new drugs and the experience of COVID-19, there has never been a better time to eradicate TB
April 27, 2023 – Scroll.in10. The bigotry of a few cannot deny a history of same-sex unions, nor violate the principles of justice
March 28, 2023 – Scroll.in1. The importance of affordable healthcare for all and other key lessons from the pandemic
December 29, 2022 – Scroll.in2. No community voices yet in community engagement on TB
May 24, 2022 – The Hindu3. India must fine-tune its strategy to eliminate tuberculosis
April 5, 2022 – The Hindu4. Nutritional security is vital in the fight against TB
February 19, 2022 – The Hindu5. Violence, stigma and identity: Why the queer mental health crisis requires attention
June 13, 2022 – Scroll.in6. 'Hum Dekhenge': The verses of Faiz may have been dropped, but the essence of his ideas will endure
April 30, 2022 – Scroll.in7. Faiz teaches us to question. His work shouldn't be erased from syllabus
April 28, 2022 – The Indian Express8. TB survivors should have been central to redesigning care policies, not reduced to an afterthought
March 26, 2022 – Scroll.in9. How wrong TB diagnosis destroyed three years of my life
March 24, 2022 – The Times of India10. In India's battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, TB care has suffered collateral damage
March 9, 2022 – Scroll.in11. If India can build a new Capital complex during a pandemic, why couldn't we plan better for Omicron?
January 14, 2022 – Scroll.in1. Remembering Saleem Kidwai: Friend, scholar, queer rights activist
September 3, 2021 – The Indian Express2. Settling India's COVID-19 mortality data
3. An ordinary Indian’s day during the pandemic
May 4, 2021 – The Indian Express4. India's manmade Covid-19 crisis and what we can do about it
April 24, 2021 – Scroll.in5. Pandemic is an opportunity to re-imagine TB care
March 27, 2021 – The Indian Express1. Building trust in vaccines
August 23, 2020 – The Hindu2. Even as Covid-19 is still around, tuberculosis remains India’s biggest health crisis
December 31, 2020 – Scroll.in3. From Dharavi to São Paulo's favelas, a COVID-19 response must engage the communities that live there
May 7, 2020 – Scroll.in4. Covid-19 stigma is a major roadblock in India's path to recovery. Here's how to beat it
April 17, 2020 – Scroll.in5. In India's response, a communications failure
May 15, 2020 – The Hindu6. Next Barrier After COVID-19: Stigma and Discrimination in the Time of Pandemic
April 2, 2020 – The Wire7. TB and coronavirus: A curable and incurable crisis
March 24, 2020 - in The Hindu.1. The Section 377 judgment could be a victory for public health, if India’s health system steps up
September 7, 2018 – Scroll.in2. Beyond Section 377: LGBTQI Rights
July 16, 2018 – The Indian Express3. Listen to the survivor
March 24, 2018 – The Indian Express4. Why the patient's perspective matters
March 18, 2018 – The Hindu1. Diagnosing Me With TB, Doctor Spoke to Me Like I Was Uneducated
March 23, 2017 – The Quint2. The TB Time Bomb
March 24, 2017 - The Hindu1. Queer love in Delhi: A book of photographs explores desire and longing in the Capital
December 20, 2016 – Scroll.in
2. Battling Drug-Resistant TB, and the Indian Government
September 2, 2016 – The New York Times
3. India's Supreme Court Decriminalizes Homosexuality
July 17, 2016 – BBC News
4. Why free medicines can transform TB management
July 14, 2016 - The Hindu.
5. India's Supreme Court Upholds Section 377, Criminalising Homosexuality​
June 29, 2016 – BBC News
6. Dear Supreme Court, please sort out your problems about sexual identities and sexual desire
April 15, 2016 – Scroll.in
7. The importance of listening to patients
April 13, 2016 – The Hindu
March 24, 2016 - The Hindu
Journal Articles
Book Chapters
Seeking the Self: MSM programming, Rights and Identity in Keeping the Promise: Two Decades of India’s Fight Against AIDS, VHAI: New Delhi 2011
Udwadia ZF, Mehra C. Tuberculosis in India. BMJ. 2015 Mar 23;350:h1080. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h1080. PMID: 25805828.
Mehra C, Lokhande D, Chavan D, Rane S. What quality of care means to tuberculosis survivors. J Clin Tuberc Other Mycobact Dis. 2020 Feb 27;19:100157. doi: 10.1016/j.jctube.2020.100157. PMID: 32215321; PMCID: PMC7090361.
Ashesh A, Mehra C, Madan V, Furin J. Reimagining community engagement in TB elimination: a perspective from the field. IJTLD Open. 2025 Jan 1;2(1):3-5. doi: 10.5588/ijtldopen.24.0578. PMID: 39802226; PMCID: PMC11724523.