1.Citation
Prof. Dr. Rayapu Ramesh Babu is an internationally renowned physician, public health specialist, and one of India’s earliest and most enduring crusaders in the field of HIV/AIDS. Regarded as a messiah for HIV/AIDS patients in India since 1987, he began voluntary HIV-related work as a medical student in 1983—making him the first volunteer on HIV/AIDS in the world. For over 40 years, he has made outstanding contributions to HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, research, counselling, diagnostics, treatment, community care, and rehabilitation—during a time when stigma, fear, and social isolation prevented others from engaging with the cause.
Dr. Ramesh is the Founder, President, and CEO of BOSS (Blood Donors Organization for Social Service) and CIPCA (Centre for Information, Prevention and Counselling on AIDS)—India’s first registered non-governmental charitable organization exclusively dedicated to HIV/AIDS, with 2,524 doctors and 16,906 blood donors as members. These institutions have been recognized internationally with Special Consultative Status by the United Nations (ECOSOC) and acknowledged by ICMR, NACO, IAS, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard AIDS Institute, the World AIDS Foundation, and Oxford University.
He holds qualifications as a Physician (MBBS), Public Health Specialist, Lawyer (LL.B.), Psychologist (M.Sc. Psychology), Social Worker (MBA – Hospital Management), and earned India’s first Ph.D. on HIV/AIDS, along with a prestigious Fellowship from Oxford University for his pioneering work.
Since completing MBBS in 1987, Dr. Ramesh has never undertaken private practice or salaried employment, dedicating his entire life to charitable service—an extremely rare example of selfless medical commitment.
Through BOSS and CIPCA, he has provided free healthcare services to 4,55,214 Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), including counselling, diagnostic tests, clinical management of opportunistic infections, nutritional support, antiretroviral therapy, nursing care, and palliative support. For terminally ill patients, he provided end-of-life care, funeral assistance, and bereavement support—services unprecedented in India at the time.
Despite battling Thyroid Cancer since 2018, undergoing continuous treatment, and surviving two episodes of COVID-19 infection, he has remained active in community service and cancer prevention campaigns.
He is a Double Centurion Blood Donor, having donated blood 200 times, and holds a World Record, while also motivating 37,21,923 people to donate blood exclusively to Government Blood Banks.
Dr. Ramesh has participated in 103 international conferences on HIV/AIDS and STIs, published hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific abstracts, and represented India at four United Nations General Assembly Special Sessions (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS.
From April 1987 to March 2025, he has organized 9,811 public health programmes, fully funded by donations from doctors and members—without any government or foreign funding.
2. Significant Contributions
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when academic activities halted worldwide, Dr. Ramesh became a national pioneer in virtual medical education. Between November 2020 and September 2024, he organized 50 monthly International Conferences across multiple super-specialties—Cardiology, Oncology, Nephrology, Urology, Neurosciences, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, Haematology, Reproductive Medicine, and Interventional Radiology.
Key achievements:
- 650–750 National & International Speakers (including leading global experts)
- 2,50,000+ doctor participants from India and abroad
- 4 CME Credit Hours for each conference by Andhra Pradesh Medical Council
- 200 CME Credit Points issued to each participant free of cost
- Conferences strictly conducted without pharmaceutical or corporate sponsorship
- Academic model widely acknowledged as unique in India and globally
This achievement has been submitted to the Guinness World Records for recognition.
Dr. Ramesh also served as an Abstract Reviewer and Chairperson for over 20 international conferences on HIV/AIDS worldwide and organized India’s first major national HIV/AIDS conference in 2000 with 476 participants from 15 states.
Over four decades, he has conducted:
- 1,287 Rural Free Medical Camps
- 1,200 Mass Blood Donation Camps
- 2,665 Blood Donation Motivation Drives
- 5,000+ HIV/AIDS Awareness Programmes (Student, Community, Rural)
- 576 Cancer Awareness Campaigns
- 240 COVID-19 Prevention Campaigns
- Training programmes for 75,000 doctors and 35,000 paramedical staff
His scientific, academic, and social contributions are unparalleled.
3. Impact / Outcome
Dr. Ramesh’s free public healthcare services have transformed the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable. He has served 4.55 lakh PLHIV/AIDS patients without discrimination, ensuring that no one is denied treatment due to inability to pay. His lifelong stand against stigma, misinformation, and social exclusion has reshaped public attitudes toward HIV/AIDS, blood donation, and cancer.
He motivated millions to donate blood, helped identify thousands with early-stage cancers, and guided them to treatment. His work brought national visibility, drawing participation and appreciation from more than 200 senior officials,including:
- Former Vice President of India (4 times)
- Governors of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Mizoram, Tripura
- Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
- Senior IAS, IPS, and Health University officials
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he ensured uninterrupted care for PLHIV and TB patients, identifying 57,931 COVID-positive PLHIV, treating them, and preventing mass transmission—despite contracting COVID-19 twice himself.
His academic contributions benefited doctors across India, enabling them to earn mandated CME credits without financial burden, saving crores of rupees for the medical community.
His lifelong commitment—painstaking, self-funded, and rooted in extraordinary compassion—stands as a unique example of service in modern Indian medical history.
4. Summary (40 Years of Dedicated National Service)
Prof. Dr. Rayapu Ramesh Babu has dedicated his entire 40-year career to selfless public health service, HIV/AIDS care, pandemic management, community health, blood donation, cancer prevention, and transformative medical education. His contributions stand out for their:
- Unmatched scale
- Sustained continuity
- Exceptional personal sacrifice
- Scientific and social impact
- National and international recognition
In recognition of his untired, innovative and unique services, Dr.Rayapu Ramesh Babu has won number of State, National and International Awards in his credit.
Address
7-104, Shanthi Nagar, M.R. Palli, Tirupati - 517502, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA
0877 2240355(Off.) / 2240050(Res.)
08772241722, Cell: 09848154174 / 08019824944
rayapu@gmail.com, drrayapurameshbabu@gmail.com