Dr. Vijaykumar Vinayak Dongre, President, Voluntary Health Association of India has been awarded Padma Shri by the Government of India for his outstanding achievement in Public Health.
Dr. Dongre has dedicated his life to the field of Leprosy Control & Rehabilitation which has contributed to shaping Leprosy Control Movement in India over the last five decades.
His unconventional and empathetic approach in treating patients with Leprosy has influenced the perception of the disease, resulting in drastic reduction in stigma and discrimination. Before the Padma Shri, he was awarded the International Gandhi Award for Leprosy 2013 by former President Pranab Mukherjee.
He has written 52 booklets on leprosy and given about 10,000 lectures on the disease.