Dr K Surya Rao: From rural Andhra to the Padma Shri and international recognition 

(Oct 7, 2026) Inspired by a doctor who visited his remote Andhra village once a month, Dr Kutikuppala Surya Rao went on to become a Padma Shri awardee, WHO-recognised physician and Guinness World Record holder. Over four decades, his work in HIV/AIDS awareness, public health and humanitarian service has reached the global stage, including the UN and institutions across several  countries.

Back in the 1970s, a doctor used to visit Kutikuppala Surya Rao’s village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh once a month. It was a time when there were no roads connecting the village to the town, leave alone a hospital. So the doctor’s visit was something the villagers eagerly looked forward to, in the hope of finding some remedy for their health problems.

But getting an audience with the doctor was a struggle, as hundreds would turn up to see him, many saluting him in respect and vying for his attention. Watching all this unfold before him, a young Surya Rao understood the importance of a doctor in people’s lives. He decided to become one himself.

Born into a modest farming family, Dr Rao rose through determination, compassion and academic excellence to build a career in medicine and public health. Yet, as he says, being a doctor has never been only about treating patients who come to a clinic. For him, healthcare also means understanding what makes people sick and reaching those who may never make it to a hospital.

“Coming from a simple background taught me the importance of hard work, discipline and compassion. I was always inclined towards science and had a strong desire to do something meaningful for people,” says Dr K Surya Rao, in conversation with The Global Indian.

Dr K Surya Rao received Padma Shri in 2008 from the then President of India, Pratibha Patil

From a village in Andhra to medicine

Born in Kintali village, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, Dr Rao grew up in a modest farming family. His father, Kutikuppala Sriramulu, was a farmer who had only a primary education, while his mother, Sanyasamma, had no formal education.

He studied at Zilla Parishad High School, Kintali, and then up to B.Sc at Government Degree College, Srikakulam, before moving to Visakhapatnam to pursue MBBS at Andhra Medical College.

The journey to college itself was not easy. Dr Rao recalls crossing a large canal from his village and walking along the narrow boundaries of muddy agricultural fields for about five miles to reach Srikakulam Degree College.

“In school, I was always number one in the class. In B.Sc, I got three proficiency medals in Chemistry, Botany and Telugu. In the first attempt itself I got a seat in the prestigious Andhra Medical College,” he recalls.

His academic journey eventually took him beyond India. He did his postgraduate training at the University of Colombo, specialised training in HIV medicine at Christian Medical College, Vellore, and doctoral research at Andhra University on ethical issues in HIV/AIDS care.

A doctor beyond the hospital

For over four decades, Dr Rao, a Padma Shri awardee, has devoted his life to medicine, public health research, humanitarian initiatives and service to vulnerable communities.

As owner and Consultant Physician at Kutikuppala Surya Rao Hospital, Visakhapatnam, he has continued to treat patients while also working on issues that extend beyond the hospital, including HIV/AIDS awareness, hygiene, rabies prevention, sanitation, rural and tribal healthcare, migrant communities and children’s welfare.

Dr K Surya Rao with Mother Teresa

“Being a doctor is not merely about treating a patient who comes to the clinic. It is also about identifying the problems that make people sick in the first place,” says Dr Rao, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London, and recipient of the World Health Organization award, 1989.

Prevention, he believes, is one of the most powerful forms of healthcare.

A doctor sees only those who reach the hospital. Public health allows us to reach thousands before they become patients.

Dr K Surya Rao

This philosophy became particularly important to him in his work on HIV/AIDS.

Taking on HIV/AIDS stigma

In 1987, while Dr Rao was receiving training in caring for HIV/AIDS patients at Manchester Royal Infirmary, he came across an incident involving a young girl in a London school. The child was shunned and assaulted by classmates because her mother was HIV-positive.

“I was shocked. I wondered if this can happen in an advanced country like Britain, how would Indian people, who were much more ignorant and superstitious, treat those with HIV,” he says. The incident stayed with him. He returned to India and began building momentum around HIV awareness while continuing to treat HIV patients and others with different illnesses at his hospital.

At a time when HIV/AIDS was surrounded by fear and misinformation, he worked to address not just the disease but also the stigma surrounding it.

“Our landmark research among thousands of long-distance truck drivers shaped HIV prevention strategies in India and the world,” says Dr Rao, who went on to establish one of India’s earliest comprehensive HIV/AIDS care centres.

The centre offered treatment alongside dignity, hope and acceptance. Through awareness programmes, he challenged myths and discrimination and sought to reinforce the message that people living with HIV needed compassion rather than untouchability.

His work earned recognition from global health organisations, including the United Nations.

Taking the message to the world

Dr Rao delivered a speech on HIV prevention and awareness at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the then US President Bill Clinton was also present. He also delivered lectures at institutions across 72 nations, he says.

Dr K Surya Rao with former US President Bill Clinton

Representing India on international platforms, including the UN, has been deeply humbling. Coming from a small village in Andhra Pradesh and eventually finding myself contributing to global conversations on healthcare has been a remarkable journey.

Dr K Surya Rao

He also addressed the 20th Europe Region Conference of the World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) in Istanbul, Turkey, speaking on increasing awareness, prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Over the years, HIV treatment has changed considerably. “Antiretroviral therapy has enabled people living with HIV to live much longer and healthier lives,” says Dr Rao, who is also a Guinness World Record holder for creating the largest HIV/AIDS-awareness Red Ribbon, which was exhibited at Anfield football stadium in England.

But, he says, the fight is not only against the virus. “A patient should never be defined by a diagnosis. Medical treatment, confidentiality, counselling and dignity must go together.”

Restoring confidence beyond cancer

For Dr Rao, healing has also meant looking at the emotional and social impact of illness. One encounter changed his understanding of cancer care. A single mother and stage artist, who was the sole breadwinner for her children, was undergoing chemotherapy. While the treatment was saving her life, the loss of her hair affected her confidence.

“Ashamed of her appearance, she stopped performing on stage, losing not only her identity but also her family’s only source of income,” says Dr Rao.

He realised that treatment alone could not address what she was going through. This inspired him to launch the ‘Atmanirbhar Kesadaan – Free Wig Initiative for Cancer Champions.’ “Through this unique movement, we inspired thousands to donate their hair to create free wigs for cancer survivors undergoing chemotherapy,” he says.

The initiative sought to help women and children undergoing chemotherapy regain confidence and return to their professions and daily lives. Dr Rao received the Mahatma Gandhi Samman Puraskar at the Upper House of Lords, London, and the ATA USA Lifetime Achievement Award “Jeevana Pradatha” at the Chicago International Conference.

A voice for the vulnerable

Throughout his career, Dr Rao has worked among tribal populations, slum dwellers, migrant workers, women, children and other marginalised communities.

Through free medical camps, awareness programmes and outreach initiatives, he has provided healthcare services and health education to people who otherwise had little or no access to medical care. His work with vulnerable children grew from another encounter after a medical camp.

One evening, after finishing a camp, Dr Rao noticed a young boy rummaging through a garbage bin for leftovers. He offered him food, but instead of eating it immediately, the boy wrapped half of it in a newspaper. The child told him that his little sister had not eaten since the previous day.

Dr Rao discovered that the siblings had lost their parents, had no home or education, and had no one to care for them. “That night, I realised that treating illness alone could never heal society—children first needed love, dignity, and an opportunity to dream,” he says.

The experience inspired him to establish the Child Foundation of India, dedicated to nurturing orphans, street children, children affected by HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable children.

Through education, healthcare, shelter, life skills and vocational support, the foundation has worked to help these children build better futures. “Many of those neglected children have grown into professionals, leaders and responsible citizens,” he says.

Dr K.Surya Rao receiving Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman in London

Fighting rabies through awareness

Another public-health concern that made a deep impression on Dr Rao was rabies. During a village visit, he came across a boy who had suffered a severe dog bite to his neck. Despite desperate efforts to save him, the child died. Dr Rao felt that the tragedy could have been avoided if the family had known that immediate rabies vaccination could prevent the disease.

Determined that other families should not suffer the same fate, he launched rabies awareness campaigns across schools, villages and rural communities.

“Through public demonstrations, health education and timely vaccination drives, we taught people that every dog bite is a medical emergency and that prompt vaccination can save lives,” he says.

Taking hygiene into communities

Another initiative undertaken by Dr Rao was the ‘Hand Wash Movement’. After seeing construction workers having their meal with dirty hands, he took up a campaign demonstrating proper handwashing.

We took the campaign to schools, villages, slums, tribal communities and workplaces with a slogan that clean hands can save lives.

Dr K Surya Rao

He  received a letter of commendation from the World Health Organization for the initiative. For him, such efforts reflect the same belief that has shaped his work over the decades: prevention and awareness can reach people before illness brings them to a hospital.

Research, teaching and writing

Alongside his medical and humanitarian work, Dr Rao has also worked as a researcher and educator.

He has authored more than a hundred scientific publications and several medical textbooks. His work has been published in international journals and has contributed to public health policy, medical education and disease prevention strategies. He contributed special chapters to eight textbooks. His recent books, “The Art of Falling Ill” and “Beyond Warnings”, are marketed globally by Amazon.

Dr K Surya Rao is a Guinness World Record holder for creating the largest HIVAIDS-awareness Red Ribbon, , which was exhibited at Anfield football stadium in England

Looking ahead

Dr Rao plans to continue contributing to medicine, research, public health, education and humanitarian service.

Every initiative of mine began with a simple human problem and an attempt to find a practical solution.

Dr K Surya Rao

For a doctor whose own journey began by watching villagers wait eagerly for the arrival of a visiting physician, the idea of healthcare has expanded far beyond the consultation room. Science and technology will continue to advance, he says, but compassion must remain at the heart of healthcare. He also urges the next generation of doctors to look beyond the disease.

• Follow Dr K Surya Rao on LinkedIn

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