Crusader for India sex workers' rights and HIV/AIDS expert Dr Smarajit Jana dies from Covid-19

Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, a forum of thousands of sex workers and their children in Kolkata, told IBNS that the doctor, who fought for the human rights of the sex workers of West Bengal and India besides their sexual health and social dignity, died in the morning in Kolkata.   

The doctor was a livewire of sex workers' movement in India, an advocate of legalising sex work and had most part of his career functioned from Kolkata as leading light of the women in sex trade in Sonagachi and other red light areas of Kolkata. 

Dr. Jana is hailed as the man behind taking the right to dignity of the sex workers to the national and international level besides his long association with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and CARE. 

A man known for offering the media an easy access to the sex workers' districts in Kolkata, he acted like a father figure of the women who live in the brothels of Sonagachi, one of Asia’s largest red-light districts. 

An  MBBS  (Bachelor of Medicine) from Calcutta University in 1978 he had completed his post graduate course on Tropical Medicine and Health (DTM&H) from STM, Calcutta between 1981 and 82.

He was a Doctor of Medicine (MD) (Social and Preventive Medicine) from AIIH & PH, Calcutta, (CU) and had completed courses in Epidemiology and Health system development in School of Hygiene and Public Health, the John Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, the school of Public Health, the University of Michigan, Ann Abbor, USA, AIDS Education and Training Center, The University of Washington, Seattle, USA. and Dept. of Public Health, Leeds University, UK.      

Dr Jana was a Field Epidemiologist in Dept. of Epidemiology, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AIIHPH), Calcutta before he became the Project Director of STD/HIV Intervention Program in Sonagachi, in 1992.  The association changed his life and the destiny of the sex workers of Kolkata who were caught in poverty and violence besides putting up with extortion, coercion and sexual diseases.

He was an HIV Program co-coordinator for CARE USA, and was based in Dhaka, Bangladesh between 1999 and 2002.

He was also appointed the Asst. Country Director, CARE USA, New Delhi (HIV, Health and Development) from Aug 2003 to Feb 2006

He was also a national program adviser [National AIDS Control Organization or NAACO, India from Feb 2007 to March 2009. when he represented India at policy level bodies internationally.

Dr. Jana had also functioned as a board member of AVAHAN program (The Indian chapter of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) supporting HIV prevention programmes in India with a grant of $ 260 Million for a period of 5 years from 2003 till May 2009.

He later served as a Member of the Steering Committee, NACO [National AIDS Control Organization, Govt of India], the highest policy making body responsible for overseeing the development of the third phase of National HIV intervention programme.

Dr Jana had also worked as a member of the Scientific Planning Committee of 12th World AIDS Conference 1998 held at Geneva.

He also worked as executive member of the UN regional partnership forum on sex work, based in UNFPA office in Bangkok, since August 2005 till 2007.

He had also officiated as a member of the Supreme Court constituted commission to look into issues of trafficking and rehabilitation program, and to protect rights  and dignity of sex workers who are willing to continue in the sex trade.

A writer of books on HIV/AIDS and sex work, he was also awarded National Public service excellence award for the year 1999 in India, for his contribution to public Health.