Meet our experts from across the world who are at the forefront of fighting medical misinformation.
Dr Cait McMahon OAM
Australia
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Dr Cait McMahon OAM
AustraliaA registered psychologist and the founding managing director of Dart Centre Asia Pacific, Dr Cait McMahon has served on the Board of Directors since its inception in 2003 until stepping down in March 2023. Dr Cait believes in working towards a better society and contributing to maintaining healthy journalism. Her PhD research focuses on Australian trauma-reporting journalists, post-traumatic stress, and post-traumatic growth. Dr Cait has received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), one of Australia’s highest civil accolades, for her work with journalists and trauma.
Saleem Samad
Bangladesh
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Saleem Samad
BangladeshAn award-winning investigative journalist and a popular columnist based in Bangladesh, Saleem Samad is also a recipient of the Ashoka Fellowship (1991) and the Hellman-Hammett Award (2005). He serves as a correspondent for the international media rights organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and has been the General Secretary of the Forum for Freedom of Expression, Bangladesh (FExB), a collective of media rights defenders.
Jakir Hossain Bhuiyan Masud
Bangladesh
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Jakir Hossain Bhuiyan Masud
BangladeshAn academician, researcher, and consultant in the field of public health and digital health for over 17 years, Jakir Hossain Bhuiyan Masud has been the Chairman of the Public Health Informatics Foundation (PHIF) since 2015. He is also an expert member on the Roster of Experts at the World Health Organization’s Digital Health Technical Advisory Group (DHTAG). Jakir holds master’s degrees in health economics, public health in epidemiology, and biomedical and health informatics.
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Dr. Adoumbaye Noubadoum
ChadDr. Adoumbaye Noubadoum is a practising physician in the Republic of Chad, Africa. Currently in-charge of the UN dispensary in Gore, he is passionate about improving the quality of care for UN staff as well as supporting the fight against COVID-19 through vaccination and infodemic management.
Qian Sun
Germany
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Qian Sun
GermanyBased in Berlin, Germany, Qian Sun works as a freelance journalist for multiple media outlets in China and Europe. She has primarily worked for Phoenix TV, Hong Kong, as a correspondent covering German and European politics. Equipped with multimedia storytelling skills, she also works as a digital content producer for FIFA, Pear Video, etc. Her interest in the topic of public health began in 2018, and since then, she has been working on reporting projects about malaria, COVID-19, etc.
Dr. Man Yee Wong
China
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Dr. Man Yee Wong
ChinaDr. Yee Wong is currently working as a technical writer for a biotechnology company in the US. She is also a former reporter and acting news editor for The Associated Press (from 2000 to 2004). She holds a Master of Public Health (MPH), a degree in epidemiology from Harvard University. In addition to this, she also holds an MBBS degree and a Master of Journalism.
Dr. Raphael Byamungu
Democratic Republic of...
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Dr. Raphael Byamungu
Democratic Republic of the CongoDr. Raphael Byamungu is a family medicine and primary healthcare practitioner in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa. He is also a member of the COVID-19 response team at the Heal Africa Hospital, Goma.
Dr Annick Mondjo
Gabon
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Dr Annick Mondjo
GabonWith more than two decades of experience in epidemiology and public health, Dr. Annick Mondjo has served as the coordinator of the fight against infectious diseases, primarily skin NTDs and rabies, at the national level. She has also been the Focal Point at the Ministry of Health in Gabon for various sub-regional organisations (OCEAC, CEEAC, RCC-AC of the Africa CDC). Dr. Mondjo also represented Central Africa on the Steering Committee of the Community of Practice on Public Health Risk Communication and Community Engagement for Africa (PH-RCCE-CoPA) for two years.
Muhammed Saho
The Gambia
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Muhammed Saho
The GambiaMuhammed Saho is a seasoned public health professional, currently working as a Technical Officer supporting the Primary Health Care Unit at the Ministry of Health, the Gambia. He has worked on several health projects in Africa with international organisations, including the WHO, CDC and UNICEF.
Ruibang Luo
Hong Kong, SAR
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Ruibang Luo
Hong Kong, SARA top graduate from South China University and a postdoctoral fellow in the Center of Computational Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Luo is a researcher of bioinformatics algorithms, precision medicine, genome study and metagenomics. His research results have been published in peer-reviewed journals including Nature, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Machine Intelligence, Nature Communications, and Bioinformatics. He was named to the 2019 list of Innovators Under 35 Asia Pacific by MIT Technology Review.
Dr. Eunice Wong
Hong Kong, SAR
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Dr. Eunice Wong
Hong Kong, SARDr. Eunice Yuk-Chun Wong has been in private practice in Central, Hong Kong, with a special interest in treating ADHD in children and adults within the family and social context. She earned her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. After working in this field, she completed her paediatric residency training in Oakland, California, with a specific focus on behavioural and developmental paediatrics. Dr. Wong has been actively involved in public health education in Hong Kong and has also contributed as a columnist to various newspapers and journals, addressing children’s medical, developmental, and behavioural issues. She is the Founder and Chairperson of the ADHD Foundation, a Council Member of the Licentiate Medical Committee of Hong Kong, and the Vice Chairperson of the Public Health Education Committee of the Hong Kong Pediatric Society.
Akshi Chawla
India
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Akshi Chawla
IndiaDriven by her conviction for working towards improving citizens’ access to their entitlements, Akshi’s career choices reflect the same. After working in different organisations on themes of gender, welfare, and inclusion, she currently works with Global Health Strategies as an SPA on the Market Access Team. She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from Panjab University and a Postgraduate Certificate in the liberal arts from the Young India Fellowship.
Shimna Azeez
India
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Shimna Azeez
IndiaA medical doctor and lecturer at the Government Medical College, Kerala, Dr. Azeez also engages in writing articles on various medical related topics to bust myths and bring out her experiences to enlighten the crowd. In 2019, she won the Eastern Bhoomika Award for excellence in various fields.
Sita Ratna Devi
India
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Sita Ratna Devi
IndiaDr. Ratna Devi is the CEO and Co-founder of DakshamA Health and Education, an organisation that is dedicated to working for access to health, patient education and advocacy. She leads a cross disease Patient Alliance in India called Indian Alliance of Patient Groups (IAPG), Board member HIA (Healthy India Alliance – the National NCD Alliance in India) and I – ORD (Indian Organisation for Rare Diseases). She holds an MBBS degree from Sambalpur University and a dual MBA from SYMBIOSIS and Manipal Institute of Distance Education. Dr. Devi also holds advisory positions at several NGOs and has contributed to research as well as publications.
Dr.Debanjan Banerjee
India
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Dr.Debanjan Banerjee
IndiaDr. Banerjee has worked as a Senior Resident in General Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, and holds a postdoctoral (D.M) in Geriatric (old-age) Psychiatry from the same institute. He has several awards and distinctions to his credit (Gold Medalist in MBBS, Best Student and Psychotherapy in MD, The Gandhi Fellowship Award, etc.), and has presented in several national and international conferences. He is a life-fellow of the Indian Psychiatric Society, Indian Association of Geriatric Mental Health, Indian Association of Social Psychiatry and the World Association of Social Psychiatry.
Dr. Chandrika Kambam
India
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Dr. Chandrika Kambam
IndiaDr. Chandrika Kambam is a qualified Internal Medicine Consultant trained in the United States of America, and holds the position of Vice President for Clinical Services, for the Columbia Asia Group of Hospitals in India. She pursued her MBBS and MD in Internal Medicine. After over 10 years of experience, she further studied and acquired a MBA, Post graduate diploma in Medical law and Ethics and is also Board Certified in Medical Quality. She has taken on herself the task to improve the Health Information Systems from the clinical point of view and is also involved in Consultant Recruitment, among several important roles that she plays effortlessly.
Aastha Aggarwal
India
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Aastha Aggarwal
IndiaA public health researcher working in the area of chronic conditions in India, Aastha holds a PhD in Physical Anthropology. She has made significant contributions to the establishment of a genetics laboratory and biorepository at PHFI and also oversees its functioning. Additionally, she teaches as a guest faculty at IIPH-Delhi. In her capacity as the Member Secretary of the PHFI-Institutional Ethics Committee, she facilitates the ethics review process at PHFI. Currently, she is working on her Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Early Career Research Fellowship.
Sweety Samal
India
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Sweety Samal
IndiaDr. Sweety Samal is currently working as Senior Research Scientist at Translational Health Science And Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, India. She holds a PhD in Virology from the University of Maryland (USA) following a Master’s in Veterinary Science. She has more than 12 years of research experience in infectious disease biology and characterization of infectious agents/live viruses (CDC approved select agents) up to enhanced BSL3+ lab containment. Having worked with several viruses like Paramyxoviruses, Influenza and HIV and one of her major focuses is now to create a ‘ translational virology platform’ to bridge the research gaps for translational research transformation.
Dr Sonali Rawal
India
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Dr Sonali Rawal
IndiaA physician and public health specialist with an MPH from Columbia, Dr. Sonali has over a decade of experience in policy-making, program implementation, communications, and advocacy. Currently, she is working as a Health Policy Specialist at NITI Aayog, Government of India.
Dr. Ashish Awasthi
India
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Dr. Ashish Awasthi
IndiaDr Ashish Awasthi is working as Assistant Professor (INSPIRE Faculty) and leading a DST funded research project. He holds a PhD in Biostatistics and has authored 49 peer-reviewed publications in various high impact journals and has academic collaborations with various International and National Institutes.
Dr. Apurvakumar Pandya
India
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Dr. Apurvakumar Pandya
IndiaDr. Apurvakumar is a psychologist, currently working as a Scientist – D at Regional Resource Centre for Health Technology Assessment, Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar. His areas of research include health technology assessment, culturally sensitive ethics in counselling practices, health promotion and behaviour change communication among others.
Dr. Maulik Patel
India
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Dr. Maulik Patel
IndiaDr. Maulik Patel is a Consultant Physician,Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Medicine in Mundra, Kutch and has an experience of 9 years in this field. He completed DNB – General Medicine from Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore in 2012. He is also the founder of Divine Life Hospital, Gujarat.
Dr. Rohini Karandikar
India
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Dr. Rohini Karandikar
IndiaShe is a postdoctoral fellow and science education researcher at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE). Her interests are science popularisation and communication. She holds a PhD from IIT Bombay.
Sanjeev Kumar
India
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Sanjeev Kumar
IndiaDr. Sanjeev Kumar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine at AIIMS Bhopal. His areas of research include health communication and health promotion.
Prof. Meenakumari
India
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Prof. Meenakumari
IndiaProf Meenakumari is presently working as a Scientist-C in Health Technology Assessment Resource centre in National Institute of epidemiology under the Indian Council of Medical Research (NIE-ICMR), Tamil Nadu, India since 2019. She has done Masters of public health from John Hopkins University, USA, and completed her Ph.D. in community health from The Tamilnadu Dr. MGR Medical University, India.
Dr. Anthony Pais
India
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Dr. Anthony Pais
IndiaA co-founder and clinical director at the Cytecare Cancer Hospital, Dr. Pais is a Senior Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgery. With special training from Japan and USA, he specialises in breast radiology, reading of mammograms and early diagnosis of breast cancer. An active member of numerous national and international organisations including the Breast Surgery International, Switzerland, the American Society of Breast Diseases and International Society of Surgeons, he is a recipient of Dr. Sathyanarayana Setty Memorial Gold Medal for his work in breast cancer, and the prestigious Dr. Mahadevan’s Award by the Association of Surgeons of India.
Shaifi Kuchay
India
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Shaifi Kuchay
IndiaDr. Kuchay works as an Associate Consultant in the division of Endocrinology and diabetes, at Medanta. He completed his postdoctoral (D.M) in Endocrinology from SKIMS, J&K. His specialisations include Thyroid and Adrenal disorders, Osteoporosis among others. He is a member of the Indian Society of Paediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology (ISPAE) and has a number of publications in many national and international journals.
Mridula Kapil Bhargava
India
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Mridula Kapil Bhargava
IndiaMridula Kapil Bhargava is a Hadassah Hebrew University alumna with over a decade of work experience in healthcare and development. She holds a postgraduate degree in Nano-Biotechnology and a graduate degree in Biotechnology. She works as a public health consultant with multiple organisations in the field of non-communicable diseases, using the concept of community ownership for prevention and management of Diabetes in urban and rural India. Mridula is also the founder Director of Diabetes Fighters’ Trust, India.
Arulchelvan Sriram
India
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Arulchelvan Sriram
IndiaA respected media and communication researcher with a strong academic background in journalism and health communication, Sriram has extensive expertise in media literacy, fact-checking, and training programmes. He has organised more than 30 seminars and faculty development programmes on various media topics and has successfully guided 14 Ph.D. scholars. Currently, he is the Director for Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMRC) at Anna University, Chennai.
Dr. Akshay Jadhav
India
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Dr. Akshay Jadhav
IndiaDr. Akshay Jadhav is an MD in Pediatrics, working as a Paediatrician in Oyster Multispeciality Clinic, & Clinical Director RTWO healthcare Solutions, Bengaluru.
Dr. Ahmad Rosudy Noor
Indonesia
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Dr. Ahmad Rosudy Noor
IndonesiaDr. Ahmad Rousdy Noor is a medical practitioner with expertise in hospital management, he is an infodemic manager and also the Director of Global Immunization Action Network Team (GIANT), Indonesia.
Siti Fatimah
Indonesia
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Siti Fatimah
IndonesiaWith an experience of around 10 years, Dr. Siti Fatimah works as a General Practitioner at the Tiara Medika Group. She completed her degree from the University of YARSI and is also a member of the Ikatan Dokter Indonesia. Apart from the general treatment, she also provides family planning and full contraceptive services.
Dr. Nicola Simone
Italy
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Dr. Nicola Simone
ItalyDr. Nicola Simone is currently working with the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), an Italian national public research institution. An expert on sensory analysis, food chemistry and food safety/protection, he also has a deep interest in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and other spectroscopy analysis.
DR ISRAFIL MERICAN FAZIL MERICAN
Malaysia
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DR ISRAFIL MERICAN FAZIL MERICAN
MalaysiaDr. Israfil is currently working as the head of medical affairs and bioequivalent at Pharmaniaga Berhad. He holds a degree of MD in Medicine and a Masters in Public Health. He has worked closely with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Ministry of International Trade and Industry in Malaysia. He is also a Certified Medical Impairment Assessor and is a passionate leader and keen businessman. He has also played the role of a communicator and negotiator between patients and the healthcare providers, as well as specialists and hospital managements to improve the services delivery all the way up to the ministerial level.
Dr Ahmad Firdaus Mohd Haris
Malaysia
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Dr Ahmad Firdaus Mohd Haris
MalaysiaDr. Ahmad Firdous is President and Co-founder of Medical Mythbusters Malaysia, a Non Government Organisation focusing on health advocacy on social media. He has an M.B.B.S degree and is the current Medical Officer for the Ministry of Health, Malasiya.
Khin Nyein Nyein
Myanmar
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Khin Nyein Nyein
MyanmarKhin Nyein Nyein has worked as the project medical referent in Hanoi for MSF-Spain. She has been a medical officer at HHSIP, providing treatment and technical support to drug-resistant patients. Additionally, she served as an Expat MD for MSF Holland.
Dr Raju Sedhain
Nepal
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Dr Raju Sedhain
NepalHailing from Nepal, Dr. Sedhain is a child specialist and holds a degree of MD in Pediatrics from NAMS. He works as a Sr. consulting paediatrician at Hetauda hospital.
Dr. Prerok Regmi
Nepal
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Dr. Prerok Regmi
NepalDr. Prerok Regmi is an integrative medicine researcher, with a deep interest in Ayurveda research and practices. He is currently working as an Infodemic Manager in Nepal and as a Research Officer at the Nepal Health Research Council, Kathmandu.
Abara Erim
Nigeria
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Abara Erim
NigeriaAbara Erim is a public health professional working with the Nigeria Centre of Disease Control (NCDC). As a WHO-certified Infodemic Manager, he is responsible for managing communication during public health crises. He is also a member of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and Society for Health Communications.
Safieh Shah
Pakistan
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Safieh Shah
PakistanBeing true to her interdisciplinary interests, Dr. Shah is a medical doctor, data specialist and a public health researcher. She is a research fellow at MSF and provides consultancy service on various projects in Afghanistan, Africa Europe etc and is committed to fighting health battles plaguing our world. She has worked across Pakistan as well with a gender based collective to dissipate public health messages.
John Aloyzeus Reotutar
Philippines
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John Aloyzeus Reotutar
PhilippinesJohn Aloyzeus Reotutar is a registered writer under the National Book Development Board, Philippines. He is an active STEM advocate and member of numerous science and youth organisations to enhance his experience as a science communicator.
Walter Balane
Philippines
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Walter Balane
PhilippinesWalter Balane worked as a full-time community journalist for over a decade, covering various topics such as peace processes, indigenous peoples’ issues, good governance, and small and medium enterprises. He holds a Master of Arts in Journalism from Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines and is pursuing a PhD at the University of the Philippines. Walter is a member of various organisations, including the Mindanao Institute of Journalism and the Association of Development Communication Educators and Practitioners-Philippines.
Zozimo
Rwanda
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Zozimo
RwandaA registered nurse holding a Master’s degree in Public Health, Zozimo serves as a nurse and infodemic manager at Doctors Without Borders MSF – Rwanda. He has worked with UNICEF, WHO and the Rwanda Ministry of Health. He has extensive experience in public health program design, strategic planning, and implementation, with a key focus on health promotion and community engagement.
Dr Manisha Arora Pandit
Singapore
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Dr Manisha Arora Pandit
SingaporeDr. Manisha holds a PhD in Zoology and is currently an Assistant Professor at Delhi University. She has an experience of almost 18 years in teaching and was a tutor in her MSc at Sardar Patel University. She has written a number of publications and her research interests include Neuroendocrinology. She is also a life Member of Indian society for Comparative Endocrinology.
Dr. Nipun Dasanayake
Sri Lanka
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Dr. Nipun Dasanayake
Sri LankaDr. Nipun is the Medical Officer Health Informatics at the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka. After his M.B.B.S he did his Msc in Biomedical Informatics. He has also worked as a medical doctor for the Ministry of Health and earlier as a Demonstrator at the Faculty of Medicine, Ragama.
Dr. Wajira Chinthaka
Sri Lanka
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Dr. Wajira Chinthaka
Sri LankaDr. Wajira is a specialist trainee in critical care medicine with three years of experience in specialist practice. He is an MD in Medicine and is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
Dr. Sameera Ranasinghe
Sri Lanka
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Dr. Sameera Ranasinghe
Sri LankaSameera Ranasinghe is a Doctor in Community Medicine at the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka. Armed with an M.Sc in Community Medicine and passion for data analysis, he has worked on several research projects related to public health. A WHO-trained infodemic manager, he is currently pursuing an M.D. in community medicine.
Dr. WMPC Weerasinghe
Sri Lanka
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Dr. WMPC Weerasinghe
Sri LankaDr. W.M.P.C Weerasinghe is a Doctoral Researcher with an M.Sc in Community Medicine and a MBBS from the University of Peradeniya, working at the Ministry of Health – Sri Lanka. He is currently undergoing specialist training in Community Medicine. He worked in the curative sector as a medical officer before entering the Public Health stream.
Dr Anam Bilal Shayiq
United Arab Emirates
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Dr Anam Bilal Shayiq
United Arab EmiratesDr Anam Shayiq works as a dental surgeon as well as a public health professional, providing her with a unique perspective on healthcare. Her expertise includes medical writing, data collection, and research, which has resulted in several publications in respected journals. Dr Anam is committed to community service, volunteering with multiple organisations to make a positive impact on society. Her dedication and skills make her a valuable asset in the medical field.
Stephen Benbow
United Kingdom
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Stephen Benbow
United KingdomStephen Benbow is an allied healthcare professional, currently working with Wye Valley Trust, in Hereford, within the Theatres and Anaesthesia directorate. He specialises in clinical governance and risk mitigation. He also has the experience of working across Asia and with international media organisations in the Middle East and Africa.
Zayed Aboali
Yemen
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Zayed Aboali
YemenZayed Aboali is a UN volunteer as National Emergency Nurse with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Yemen. He has nearly nine years of experience in nursing and as a trainer in first aid.
Tracey Ruzengwe
Zimbabwe
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Tracey Ruzengwe
ZimbabweTracey Nomatter Ruzengwe is an experienced Health Promotion Practitioner who graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education and Health Promotion from the University of Zimbabwe in 2015. Tracey is currently working as a Health Promotion Officer for the Zimbabwean Ministry of Health and Child Care. Tracey is involved in Risk Communication and Community Engagement and Behaviour Change Communication programs planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. She is passionate about enabling people to improve and increase control over their health and livelihood by improving their access to accurate information.
Flaviano Ruzengwe
Zimbabwe
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Flaviano Ruzengwe
ZimbabweFlaviano Ruzengwe is the Port Health Officer at the Ministry of Health and Childcare, Zimbabwe. He has over five years of rich experience in the field of primary healthcare, particularly in community mobilisation, sensitization, awareness, behaviour change advocacy, disease control, surveillance and communicable disease management.
Our International Team
Dr. Nicola Simone
Ivermectin without preconceptions
Dr. Raphael Byamungu
Combating COVID-19 myths in Africa
Dr. Nicola Simone
Vaccines do not contain human cells