Dr Mahmudur Rahman

Professor Rahman served as Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and National Influenza Center in Bangladesh for twelve years. He devoted 35 years to epidemiologic and public health research and surveillance of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and public health policies. Currently, he is serving as Country Director, Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), Bangladesh Office.

Professor Rahman played a key facilitator role in establishing the National Influenza Center, Biosafety Level 3 and Nipah laboratory, and web-based disease surveillance in Bangladesh. He Started the Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP)/Master’s in Applied Epidemiology, Frontline FETP and Improving Public Health Management for Action (IMPACT) Courses at IEDCR with the support of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Served as a member of the IHR (2005) and Pandemic Influenza Review Committee formed by WHO HQ, Chair and member of the Advisory Panel on PIP Framework to the Director General, WHO for six years, member of the SEAR Certification Commission for Polio Eradication (SEARCCPE), member of the Emergency Committee on MERS-CoV, and, Ebola Viral Disease, member of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Visceral Leishmaniasis of TDR/WHO, Executive Board Member of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), Pandemic Influenza Severity Assessment (Working Group),  Expert Committee on Vaccine Strain Selection, Advisory Panel to WHO project on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine composition for the tropics. Also served as a member of the Expert Review Committee for Polio eradication in Bangladesh, Managing Editor of the Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine and member National Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19 in Bangladesh.

Currently, serving as the Chair of South East Asia Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication (SEARCCPE), member of the Global Commission for the Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis, Member of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication, member of the IHR Emergency Committee on Events Related to Poliomyelitis, member of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of CEPI, taskforce member of the WHO’s Nipah virus research and development (R&D), Technical Advisory Group (TAG) member of Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases (APSED), member of the Alliance for Influenza Preparedness (Ready2Respond) Strategic Advisory Group (SAG), and Technical Expert Group (TEG), Advisory Board Member of International Academy of Public Health (IAPH), Member of the WHO Global Task Team (GTT) for pandemic influenza vaccine response (formerly termed as “switch”), and a member of the writing sub-team within GTT, Member of the Technical Working Group for Review of IHRMEF and TAG member of the Universal Health and Preparedness Review (UHPR). In addition, enlisted in the IHR roster of Experts.

Nationally, currently serving as the Chair of the National Verification Committee (NVC) for Measles and Rubella/Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) Elimination, Member NITAG- Bangladesh Vice Chair, Oversight Committee for Bangladesh Country Co-ordination mechanism (BCCM), member BCCM for about 17 years and member National AEFI Committee of DGDA.

Conducted a good number of research in the field of both Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases. Served as Principal Investigator in phase three and phase four clinical trials. Led Measles Case Fatality Study, Hepatitis B Vaccine Efficacy Study, HIV Sero-prevalence Studies and National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey in Bangladesh. Authored 178 research publications and studies including 142 publications in peer reviewed journals.

Editor of "Text Book of Community Medicine and Public Health". Earned Masters in Primary Health Care Management from Mahidol University, Thailand and Ph.D in Epidemiology from University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.