With specific expertise in policy advocacy and health systems strengthening Dr. Patil has been working in the field of social development for more than 25 years and has led several large-scale projects. She has worked with the World Bank, the EU, the British High Commission (DFID), the UN agencies and various national and international development partners.
She has been credited for devising an innovative concept of ‘Community- based service
delivery mechanism’ under the flagship program ‘Vriddha Mitra’ in the same spirit as that of the United Nations and its successful implementation to reach out to the elderly to serve them within their households with the aim to build an age-friendly ecosystem for the elderly population in India.
As a researcher, Dr. Patil has been a Principal Investigator for a number of research studies in India, Nepal, Bangladesh & the UAE, specifically in the domain of RMNCAH, Neglected Tropical Diseases, and Non-Communicable Diseases. Dr. Patil has authored various national and international reports, policy documents, articles and publications with Government of India and international organizations specifically on Health Systems, RMNCAH and Urban Health, with national and international journals like ‘Journal of Perinatology’, ‘Indian Journal of Medical Ethics’ and ‘Indian Pediatrics’. She has authored two academic books: 1. Communication Strategies in Reproductive Health; and 2. Body image, human reproduction and birth control – a tribal perspective.
Over the years, her leadership and vision in addressing the social and health care concerns of the elderly population has bestowed upon her the honour and distinction of being a public health professional in the field of elderly care.