Dr Razia Kaniz Fatima
Dr Razia Fatima is a medical doctor, Public health specialist and Epidemiologist (alumni MSc Epidemiology from LSHTM in 2009 and PhD TB from University of Bergen Norway in 2015). Her expertise spans over 22 years as research specialist including advisory and chief roles at National TB Control program Pakistan. Recently she was in the executive role of National coordinator at The Common Management Unit to manage TB, HIV AIDS and Malaria primarily for oversight and implementation of Tuberculosis control in the country. She published over 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals on Tuberculosis. She is also the current Chair of the Ethics advisory group The International Union against TB and Lung Diseases. She was acknowledged as National champion for operational research (SORT IT) into improving health from WHO TDR and was among the top 10 Women in Science in WHO TDR compendium. Currently she is Technical consultant for TB strategic planning and Global Fund applications at the UN Office for Project Services. She started her career in 2002 about 22 years ago from a remote Basic health unit she observed many people coming from slums with symptoms specific to Tuberculosis that was the time I developed a passion to work for TB and established a model TB DOTS center in that remote area , hundreds of patients were registered and the center was visited by various international partners to promote the strategy of TB DOTS in the country then in 2008 She joined National TB Control program and contributed to evidence generation for TB in Pakistan. She was trained in operational Research through Structured operational Research training initiative in 2010 from WHO TDR and after that I started advocating for the need of TB research in the country with the support of WHO TDR and the Global Fund She was able to launch the structured operational research course in the country in 2016 and trained more than 50 researchers with more than 20 Institutions engaged in the country for research training. Around 40 percent of researchers trained were females. She was recently awarded with highest prestigious award The Union medal 2024 for her extraordinary contributions towards TB research and advocacy
