Dr Karthik Adapa

Dr Karthik Adapa

Dr. Karthik Adapa is a physician-scientist and Indian Administrative Service officer. He is a global leader in digital health, artificial intelligence, and governance with over two decades of transformative impact across government, academia, and international organizations. As Punjab’s Secretary for Health and IT, he pioneered India’s first blockchain based healthcare recruitment system, led AI-driven population level health interventions, and digitized services across 1,200 healthcare facilities, significantly enhancing access and equity. His innovative AI-powered fraud detection system strengthened Punjab’s health insurance framework. Currently, as Regional Adviser for Digital Health at the World Health Organization’s South East Asia Regional Office, Dr. Adapa has developed digital health blueprints for six countries, positioning the region as the first among WHO regions to achieve strategic coverage in 80% of its Member States. A Fulbright Scholar with a PhD in Health Informatics from UNC Chapel Hill, where he serves as Adjunct Faculty, he has authored 100 peer reviewed publications and co-authored WHO technical briefs. As an editorial board member for five prestigious journals, including Nature Digital Medicine and JMIR Human Factors, Dr. Adapa drives advancements in patient safety and equitable healthcare worldwide through his roles as a practitioner, researcher, and educator.