Sharmada Sivaram is a researcher in Public Health, with an expertise in qualitative methods and currently works as Technical Specialist at India’s Population Council offices. She has over five years of
experience in examining a range of issues in Indian public health, particularly women’s health and health systems. Most recently, she has supported qualitative research components within studies on women’s
groups and health interventions, community engagement initiatives to improve women’s access to health insurance, and reproductive health decision-making among married adolescent girls.

Sharmada is currently working on an adaptive evaluation of health systems governance and maternal health outcomes.She also documented strategies within a WHO-led project to support 19 countries in ensuring continued access and coverage to RMNCAH (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health) services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sharmada holds a Master in Public Health for Development from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK) where her dissertation examined the role of female sterilisation in Indian family planning policy and programme. Besides, she has a Master in Sociology from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (India). Some of her areas of interest include women & health, reproductive health and rights, community health workers and health systems.