Mangaluru : A Mangalurean doctor has been selected as a Legislative Fellow, a fellowship supported by the US Department of State.

Dr. Edmond Fernandes, Founder & CEO, Centre for Health Development (CHD) Group, one among the 12 selected for this fellowship from across the nation is the only one from the state of Karnataka. He will leave for the USA in October. The goal of this fellowship is to understand and establish networks among mid-level professionals in the US and India.

The Fellows will be exposed to the working of the US Government Departments, interface with regard to public policy and relevant streams related to the core nature of their work. Dr Fernandes Adjunct Faculty, Dept of Public Health, KSHEMA, Nitte University will seek to build and strengthen India-US partnerships in terms of Public health and policy domains.

In USA, he will be travelling to Washington DC, Pennsylvania and then later to New York. Dr. Edmond Fernandes will be majorly working in the city of Philadelphia – where the declaration of Independence and the Constitution was signed. The Legislative fellowship will also focus on the structure of the US Government, the legislative processes, role of civil society and the impact of good governance on the lives of civilians.

He will also engage in civic leadership engagements and grass-roots level activities while in the US and during the Professional Fellows Congress meet with other mid-level professionals and US Government officials. As part of the fellowship’s diplomatic mandates, he will host an American Counterpart during their visit to India. The Legislative fellowship is managed and implemented by World Learning Inc.

Dr Fernandes is also Member- Health Task Force, DDMA, Government of Karnataka and has worked extensively in community empowerment programmes in and around the country and across other nations besides enhancing the public health systems wherever the demand is. He leads CHD Group – Center for Health and Development which is a field based and field informed public health organisation which engages in public health risk reduction activities, advocacy, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation.