Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
An award-winning public health educator, interventionist, and researcher, I currently serve as the Director of Public Health Interventions at Prime Foundation and as Executive Director for PF health entities. Recognized with the BMJ South Asia Award in 2017 for ‘Research Paper of the Year,’ my work exemplifies impactful public health research that shapes policy and practice through integrated health delivery in resource constrained and conflict afflicted settings. With extensive publications in high-impact journals, my research informs best practices in public health and healthcare interventions, contributing to sustainable advancements in health. As Director, I lead community-based health programs, applying strategic oversight to ensure sustainable impacts. Since 2022, I’ve served as Executive Director, aligning PF health entities’ operational strategies with our mission to advance community health outcomes. My global health experience includes consultancies with UNICEF and WHO on major health initiatives in Pakistan, such as the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), and TB Control. Skilled in program development and execution, I design, implement, and manage large-scale health programs addressing the most pressing public health challenges. In academia, I’m a Professor in the Community Health Sciences Department at Peshawar Medical College, where I educate future public health leaders and spearhead curriculum initiatives that blend public health theory with practical community service, preparing students to meet the demands of the health sector. My interest areas include Community Psychiatry, Inclusive Development, and Health-Promoting Schools. I focus on mental health within community contexts and advocate for inclusive health initiatives that support youth health and well-being in educational settings. A skilled grant writer, I secure funding essential to our projects' financial sustainability and lead collaborative projects that engage multiple stakeholders to maximize health outcomes in the public and private sectors, both. I am also dedicated to health sector workforce development, devising and delivering training programs that empower frontline health professionals and enhance workforce readiness. My career is driven by a commitment to fostering community development through impactful public health initiatives, education, and research. I bring a multidisciplinary perspective that integrates strategic leadership, practical solutions, and collaborative engagement to advance global health.
- Together with my colleagues at CHS led the pioneering work of integrating public health teaching, research and community service at our dept. - Supervised public health internees from within and abroad. One internee from School of Public Health, CUNY, USA did the important work of developing and pilot testing a context sensitive curriculum on Adolescent Health for the school community under the notion of Health Promoting Schools
Leading and managing the institutional development of Prime Institute of Public Health alongside acting as Associate Professor Community Health at Peshawar Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan
Provided lead to the unit for: - serving our communities during South Asian Earthquake, IDPs crisis and cataclysmic floods of 2010 - using it as a resource for teaching and research - building up faculty's public health skills - creating coordination & linkages with the health and development sector partners - attracting funds to contribute towards its sustenance