Dr Arif Azad

London, the UK
Arif_azad6@hotmail.com Mobile: 07823643773

Public Health professional

Experienced, enthusiastic, innovative professional with demonstrated expertise in a range of areas within the
medical/development and public health profession, including academia, public health agencies, pharmaceutical
and regulatory agencies, NGOs, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies and government departments and
ministries in the UK, Europe and Asia. Strong track record of achievements in health in the humanitarian context,
public health policy advocacy and research projects. In-depth experience with public and global health and
international development policy writing and briefing papers, project management from pilot to scale up and
programme monitoring and evaluation.
Core Competencies

Medical and policy writing Programme management and monitoring and

Disaster Risk reduction and Management evaluations
Public and Global Health policy expert Policy Briefing papers /Public Health Advocacy and
research
Strategic planning and proposal writing
Health financing /health systems
Partnerships and stakeholder relationship
Tobacco Control and Nutrition /SRH and migrant
Voice and Accountability in health provision
health

Professional Experience
Public Health Department of the Harrow Council, London
Work placement for registration for the UK public health register, December 2016- to date

Key Results, Achievements and Contributions

Input and review of the diabetes prevention strategy of Harrow council.

Presentation of prevention strategy to CCG executive Board Harrow
Running of expert patient programme for patients suffering with long term conditions such as diabetes
Involved in the writing of the bids for business investment into healthier city centre as part of promoting
walking friendly the city centre
Attending London leadership group meetings on diabetes and hypertension control
Involved in training health walk leaders in the borough
Working with diabetes UK local group as part of local diabetes prevention strategy
Developing suicide prevention strategy

Various organisation including DFID, USAID, Oxfam, ASIA Foundation, Save the Children, DAI and
Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO), AAWAAZ programme, ILM-Ideas programme and Alif-Ailaan
Programme

Development and Public Health Consultant, May 2011 September 2016

Key Results, Achievements and Contributions:

Designed and prepared implementation plan for the DFID-funded 35 million pounds Awaaz programme
devoted to enhancing grass-roots voice in health service provision in 43 districts of Pakistan.
Developed partnership strategy, theory of change and conducted mid evaluation of the programme of
the DFID-funded AWAAZ programme in Pakistan
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Researched and prepared child rights situation analysis report for Save the Children. The report fed into
five-year programme strategy with focus on health
Researched and wrote Oxfams Pakistans partnership strategy on developing partnerships with NGO,
Government, media and community groups
Researched and wrote research report on social protection systems in Pakistan with focus on health for
Strengthening Participatory Organisations
Led evaluation team tasked with evaluating Oxfams education and DFID-Funded education Alif Aillan
education programme in 23 districts Pakistan
Led on strategic planning exercise for USaid funded Free and Fair election network (FAFEN) and
authored five-year strategic plan
Part of the team of grant evaluators of DFID-funded Ilm ideas grants programme on education and
health
Researched and co-wrote two policy briefs for Oxfam international on two major humanitarian crises
in Pakistan. The reports are titled Too little too slow too little and Ready or Not (see publications). The
reports focused on health and nutrition issues during the response.
Led evaluation team which conducted evaluation of Lucy Packard foundation-funded sexual and
reproductive health programmes in the province of Sind in Pakistan
Participated in evaluation team that conducted evaluation of PLANs Pakistan five years country
strategy with focus on child health and sexual and reproductive health

The Network for Consumer Protection, Islamabad

Leading national NGO, a member of Consumer International, working on health-focused policy research and
advocacy projects in Pakistan since 1992

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), August 2009-April2011

Key Results, Achievements and Contributions:

Fundraised, project-managed, staff-managed and developed strategic direction of the organisation. The
Network was turnaround from a failing organisation into one of the influential NGOs working on health
and consumer rights.
Developed partnerships with WHO, UNICEF, Bloomberg, Tobacco Free Kids, USAID, Micronutrient
Initiatives and DFID on project on pictorial warning on cigarette packs, Child Nutrition and Breast Feeding
Awareness and Legislation and Universal Salt Iodization projects
Led and achieved key legislative and policy successes on the introduction of pictorial health warnings on
cigarette packs in Pakistan, notification of long-stalled rules on Breast- Feeding and Child Nutrition Act
2005 which led to the implementation of the Act,
Designed and led the health promotion and policy and legislative project on presentation of the Universal
Salt Iodization Bill in the federal parliament of Pakistan through effective research, advocacy, social
mobilisation and engagement of key stakeholders (UNICEF, WFP and Government of Pakistan,
Parliamentarian, NGO, INGOS, civil society and media)
Contributed to nutrition and health clusters during the unprecedented floods of Pakistan in 2010 and
developed partnership with UNICEF and WHO and other INGOs and government involved in the
emergency response.
Played a key role in policy deliberations around population health and patient safety as a member of the
technical advisory group of the tobacco policy cell of the federal ministry of health. Pakistan
Enhanced Networks national and international profile through effective representation at national and
international health platform such as WHO and Consumer International.
Led and formalised two national level alliances of stakeholders on promotion of breast-feeding and
universal salt iodization
Member of the Drugs Licensing and Registration Board of the Federal Ministry of Health (2009-2011);
Coordinating with the Drugs Regulatory Authority of Pakistan on pricing of, and access, to Medicine
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Family Advancement for Life and Health (FALAH). Multi-million US-funded project to increase adoption
of birth spacing practices in Pakistan
Advocacy and Training Advisor, September 2008-July2009

Key Results, Achievements and Contributions:

Developed advocacy and social mobilisation strategy for the maternal, child and family health project.
Trained key project staff from the partners organisation including Save the Children, Mercy Corps and
Population Council on advocacy, community mobilisation and advocacy messages for the programme
The project saw 8 percent increase in the uptake of contraceptive in 23 project districts

Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Pakistan Islamabad

LEAD is a non-profit organization working since 1995 to create and sustain a global network of leaders who are
committed to promoting change towards the patterns of sustainable development

Manager Research Unit, February- August 2008

Key Results, Achievements and Contributions

Led and managed the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an arm of the World Bank commissioned research
project on private health financing for medium sized clinic and hospitals
Set up clime change knowledge network in the organisation which became a regional knowledge hub under the
CKDN
Contributed to Leads newsletter and bids and training programmes on climate change and health
Researched feasibility of public policy programme and developed partnership with think tanks, universities,
government and civil society organisations
Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad
SDPI is a leading civil society research institute engaged in policy research and policy advocacy since 1992 in
Pakistan.
Research and Policy Analyst, Sep 2007 Jan 2008

Key Results, Achievements and Contributions:

Researched political parties of Pakistan with special reference to their electoral manifestos for the 2008 election.
The output was a series of articles published in the News on Sunday on the comparative analysis of political
parties and their election manifestos for the 2008 general elections with focus on health policy.
Contributed to policy advocacy programme of SDPI
Enhanced the media profile of health issues included in the election manifestos of major political parties by
organising press briefings

The Monitoring Group, London

The Monitoring Group London is among the 100 most influential NGOs working on social policy in the UK per the
Guardian newspaper

Casework/Research and Policy Officer, February 2002-August 2007

Key Results, Achievements and Contributions:

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Led the organisations research and advocacy projects and shaped policy advocacy and research agenda in
line with the mandate of the organisation
Developed partnerships with Ealing Primary Health Care Trust, Asra Housing Association, Ealing and
Hounslow local authorities and rights based organisations such as Southall Black Sisters and the Asian Health
Agency for improved health services to ethnic minorities
Researched and fundraised for the trauma therapy project for victims of hate crimes
Part of senior team which managed the Zahid Mubarak campaign and founding member of the Awaaz south
Asia watch organisation devoted to monitoring religious hatred in the UK.
Part of the Monitoring Groups policy team on the Zahid Mubrarek Public Inquiry led by Justice Keith. The
inquiry was set up after a vigorous lobbying and legal challenges by the Zahid Mubarek campaign.
Researched, wrote and disseminated legislative update on legislative and policy developments on
community and policing matters
Organised weekly advice session on immigration and health service provision matters
Developed relationship with stakeholders ranging from media, parliamentarians, NGOs, community
organisations, local authorities and government departments.
Line managed volunteer staff
Deputised for the Director at conferences and meetings with government officials.

Education and Training

Masters in Public Health (August2015-July 2016)
Thesis: UK immigration policies impact on migrant health
Umea University, Sweden
Masters in Public Policy and Management (Sep2004-September2006)
Thesis: The family-led model of campaigns for justice and policy changes in the UK
Birkbeck College, University of London, UK
Bachelor in Surgery and Medicine (M.B.B.S) (1990)
The Punjab University, Lahore
Tobacco Control Leadership Programme (July 2010)
Bloomberg school of public health, John Hopkins University, USA

Project Management Course, Egypt (2010)

International Union Against Lungs and Tuberculosis, UK

Publications
Op-ed writer on public /social policy, global and public health, international development for the Dawn
newspaper in Pakistan (2007-): http://www.dawn.com/authors/161/arif-azad
Editorial writer for the Pakistan newspaper Dateline Islamabad on development and international health
issues (2011-12) / Commentator for the Political and Economic Weekly, India
Oxfams policy brief on the Internally displaced people crisis in Pakistan: http://policy-
practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/too-little-too-slow-why-more-must-be-done-to-assist-pakistans-
displaced-millions-115042 (Too little, too slow report)
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Oxfams policy brief on Pakistan response to the unprecedented 2010

floods:https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/ready-or-not
Conferences and Networks
Founded and participated in Swedish Network on international health (2016), Stockholm
Cancer control in middle and low income countries, the Royal Society of Medicine, London, 2016.
Member global Tobacco Leadership Network, John Hopkins University, USA