Naveen Thacker

President-International Pediatric Association

Executive Director of Deep Children Hospital & Research Centre

Gandhidham-Kutch, Gujarat, India

Dr. Naveen Thacker is the Director of Deep Children Hospital & Research Centre at Gandhidham-Kutch, Gujarat, India. He is the President of the International Pediatric Association (IPA) for the year 2023-2025.

He is a member of the External Advisory Board (EAB) of the ImmuHubs Projects and he also serves as a member of the RIVER-EU Advisory Board. He is an active member of the Scientific Committee member of the Advanced Course of Vaccinology (ADVAC), France, and Vice-chair of the Steering Committee of the International Collaboration on Advanced Vaccinology Training (ICAVT).  He is also currently serving as a member of the PMNCH and is also nominated to serve on the Executive Committee for the PMNCH. He has served as a former CSO representative for the GAVI Alliance Board. He is currently an active member of the Indian Expert Advisory Group on Measles and Rubella. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. He has served as the president of the Asia Pacific Pediatric Association (APPA) for the year 2016-2018 and the National President of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics for the year 2007. He has served as a course director for CHF INCLEN ADVAC 2011, 2016, and EVAC 2017.

He is listed amongst the top influencers for the fight against Polio released by UNICEF on World Polio Day 2017 and has been awarded some prestigious awards i.e., Outstanding Asian Pediatrician Award 2012, Rotary International Regional Award for Polio-free World 2010.  His area of interest is in Global Health, Vaccine Hesitancy, and Vaccinology. He has over 50 publications on vaccines and immunization in peer-reviewed journals.