Dr. Md Hafizur Rahman profile picture

Associate Professor

Dr. Md Hafizur Rahman

Md Hafizur Rahman, MBBS, MPH, DrPH, is a public health physician having more than 20 years of experience in directing public health research and capacity building programs in low- and middle-income countries, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

School of Health Sciences

Academic Biography

  • Global Public Health
  • Healthcare management
  • Reproductive, Maternal and Child health
  • Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
  • Health systems
  • Leadership and management
  1. Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) - Johns Hopkins University-USA-2004
  2. Master of Public Health (MPH) - Johns Hopkins University-USA-1997
  3. Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) – University of Dhaka-Bangladesh-1990
     

Dr. Md Hafizur Rahman brings over two decades of academic and professional experience in public health and healthcare management. Before joining Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) as an Associate Professor, he served at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health (USA) as Assistant Scientist and Senior Associate, where he developed and taught graduate-level courses and received the Excellence in Teaching Award for the course Managing District Health Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (2018–2020).

His global academic engagement includes lectures and training in research methodology and ethics at Makerere University (Uganda), the Chinese Health Economics Institute, and the Middle Eastern Technical University (Turkiye). Between 2021 and 2023, he mentored Master’s trainees at Arabian Gulf University (Bahrain) in quality improvement and implementation research.

Throughout his career, Dr. Rahman has been actively involved in graduate supervision and mentorship, guiding numerous PhD candidates and Master’s learners in developing theses, capstone projects, and peer-reviewed publications that advance healthcare research and practice. 

In addition, he has served as an advisor and consultant for leading international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, Washington DC.

Recent Publications

An overview of academic publications documenting research focus, methodological depth, and scholarly engagement.

Selected Journal Articles (Peer Reviewed) 

  1. Al Hamidh F,  Rahman MH, Charani E. 2025. Evaluating the structure of Antibiotic Stewardship Programme in Emirates Health Services hospitals in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 152, Supplement 107581.
  2. Al Hamidh F,  Rahman MH, Charani E. 2025. Optimizing Antibiotic Stewardship in United Arab Emirates Hospitals: An Assessment of Programme Structure in Emirates Health Services. Journal of Hospital Infection (in press).
  3. Dadabhai S, Quaynor L, Bandala-Jacques A, Seyama L, Rahman MH, Phiri R, Decker MR, Taha TE. 2024. Intimate partner violence and excess fertility among women of reproductive age in Malawi. PLoS ONE. 19(1): e0297959.
  4. Rahman MH, Macicame I, Wilson E, Nhachungue S, Amouzou A. 2023. Verbal and social autopsy of adult deaths and adult care seeking pattern in Mozambique, 2019-2020 American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 108(Suppl 5), pp.17-28.
  5. Rahman MH, Cox AB, Mills SL. 2019. A Missed Opportunity: Birth Registration Coverage is Lagging Behind Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) Immunization Coverage and Maternal Health Services Utilization in Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition. 38(Suppl 1):25.
  6. Biswas TK, Sujon H, Rahman MH, Perry HB, Chowdhury ME. 2019. Quality of maternal and newborn healthcare services in two public hospitals of Bangladesh: Identifying gaps and provisions for improvement. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 19:488.
  7. Biswas TK, Begum AA, Akther S, Rahman MH, Perry HB, Heidi E Jones HE, Chowdhury ME, 2018. A newly developed tool for measuring the availability of human resources for emergency obstetric and newborn care services: Prospective analytic study in two district-level public facilities in Bangladesh. BMC Health Services Research. 18:688.
  8. Rodríguez DC, Hoe C, Dale EM, Rahman MH, Akhter S, Hafeez A, Irava W, Rajbangshi P, Roman T, Ţîrdea M, Yamout R and Peters DH. 2017. Assessing the capacity of ministries of health to use research in decision-making: conceptual framework and tool. Health Research Policy and Systems.15:65.
  9. Rahman MH, Huang D, Allen KA, Thomsen J, Joubert D, and Hyder AA. 2016. Descriptive epidemiology of injury cases: Findings from a pilot injury surveillance system in Abu Dhabi. International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion. 23(2): 214-223.
  10. Rahman MH, Agarwal S*, Tuddenham S*, Peto H*, Iqbal M, Bhuiya A, Peters DH.  2015. What do they do? Interactions between village doctors and medical representatives in Chakaria, Bangladesh. International Health. 7:266-271.
  11. Duvuru G, Lee SM, Shivani S, Rahman MH. 2015. Relevance of ANCA positivity at the time of renal transplantation in ANCA associated vasculitis". Journal of Nephrology.
  12. Shah S, Havill J, Rahman MH, Duvuru G. 2015. A Historical Study of American Patients with Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody Negative Pauci-immune Glomerulonephritis". Clinical Rheumatology.
  13. Weiss WM, Rahman MH, Solomon R, Singh V, Ward D. 2013. Determinants of performance of supplemental immunization activities for polio eradication in Uttar Pradesh, India: social mobilization activities of the Social mobilization Network (SM Net) and Core Group Polio Project (CGPP). BMC Infectious Diseases. 13:17.
  14. Hoe C, Puvanachandra P, Rahman MH, Sayed HE, Eldawy S, Dabaa AE, Albert M, Hyder AA. 2013. Seatbelt use and speeding on three major roads in Egypt: a brief report. Injury, International Journal of the Care of the Injured. 44 S4. S45–S48.
  15. Taha TE, Dadabhai SS, Rahman MH, Sun J, Kumwenda J, Kumwenda NI. 2012. Trends in birth weight and gestational age for infants born to HIV-infected, antiretroviral treatment-naive women in Malawi. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 31(5):481-6.
  16. Taha ET, Sufia S. Dadabhai SS, Sun J, Rahman MH, Kumwenda J, Kumwenda N. 2012. Child Mortality Levels and Trends by HIV Status in Blantyre, Malawi: 1989-2009. Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes. 61(2):226-34.
  17. Weiss WM, Rahman MH, Solomon R, Singh V, Ward D. 2011. Outcomes of polio eradication activities in Uttar Pradesh, India: the Social Mobilization Network (SM Net) and Core Group Polio Project (CGPP). BMC Infectious Diseases, 11:117.
  18. Pongpirul K*, Walker DG, Rahman H and Robenson C. 2011. DRG coding practice: a nationwide hospital survey in Thailand. BMC Health Services Research, 11:290.
  19. Ekirapa-Kiracho E, Waiswa P, Rahman MH et al. 2011. Increasing access to institutional deliveries using demand and supply side incentives: early results from a quasi-experimental study. BMC International Health and Human Rights. 11(Suppl 1):S11.
  20. Pariyo G, Mayora C, Okui O, Ssengooba F, Peters DH, Serwadda D, Lucas H, Bloom G, Rahman MH, Ekirapa-Kiracho E. 2011. Exploring new health markets: experiences from informal providers of transport for maternal health services in Eastern Uganda. BMC International Health and Human Rights. 11(Suppl 1):S11.
  21. Viswanathan K, Hansen PM, Rahman MH, et al. 2011. Can community health workers increase coverage of reproductive health services? J Epidemiol Community Health.  66:10 894-900.
  22. Tuddenham S*, Rahman MH, Singh S, Barman D, Kanjilal B. 2010. Care seeking for postpartum morbidities in Murshidabad, rural India. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Jun;109(3):245-6.
  23. Kanjilal B, Mazumdar PG, Mukherjee M and Rahman MH. 2010. Nutritional status of children in India: household socio-economic condition as the contextual determinant. International Journal for Equity in Health 2010, 9:19.
  24. Lunevicius R*, Rahman MH. 2010. Assessment of Lithuanian trauma care service using a conceptual framework for assessing the performance of health system. European Journal of Public Health, 1-6.
  25. Pariyo GW, Ekirapa-Kiracho E1, Okui O, Rahman MH, Bishai D, Peters DH. 2009. Changes in Utilization of Health Services Among Poor and Rural Residents in Uganda: Are Reforms Benefiting the Poor? International Journal for Equity in Health, 8:39.
  26. Rahman MH, Mosley WH, Ahmed S, Akhter HH. 2008. Does service accessibility reduce socio-economic differentials in maternity care seeking: Evidence from rural Bangladesh. Journal of Biosocial Science, 40, 19-33.
  27. Peters DH, Garg A, Bloom G, Walker D, Brieger W, and Rahman MH. 2008. Poverty and Access to Health Care in Developing Countries. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1136: 161-171.
  28. Bloom G, Champion C, Lucas H, Rahman MH, Bhuiya A, Oladepo O, and Peters D. 2008. Health markets and future health systems: innovation for equity. Global Forum Update on Research for Health, volume 5; 30-33.
  29. Kiwanuka SN, Ekirapa EK, Peterson S, Okui O, Rahman MH, Peters D, Pariyo GW . Access to and utilization of health services for the poor in Uganda: a systematic review of available evidence. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2008.
  30. Berliner AR, Fine DM, Lucas GM, Rahman MH, Racusen LC, Scheel PJ, Atta MG. 2008. Observations on a cohort of HIV-infected patients undergoing native renal biopsy. Am J Nephrol; 28:478-486.
  31. Hass M, Rahman MH, Cohn RA, Fathallan-Shaykh S, Ansari A, and Bartosh SM. 2008. IgA Nephropathy in Children and Adults: Comparison of Histologic Features and Clinical Outcomes. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation; 0:1-9.
  32. Scheel PJ, Piccini J, Rahman MH, Lawler L, Thomas Jarrett. 2007. Combined Prednisolone and Mycophenolate Mofetil Treatment for Retroperitoneal Fibrosis. The Journal of Urology; 178: 140-144.
  33. Bagnasco SM, Tsai W, Rahman MH, Kraus ES, Barisoni L, Vega R, Racusen LC, Haas M, Mohammed BS, Zachary AA, Montgomery RA. 2007. CD20-positive infiltrates in renal allograft biopsies with acute cellular rejaction are not associated with worse graft survival. American Journal of Transplantation 7 (8), 1968–1973.
  34. Thomas A, Dropulic LK, Rahman MH and Duvuru G. 2007. Ureteral Stents: A novel risk factor for polyomavirus nephropathy. Transplantation 84(3), 433-436.
  35. Haas M, Montgomery RA, Segev DL, Rahman MH, Racusen LC, Bagnasco SM, Simpkins CE, Warren DS, Lepley D, Zachary AA and Kraus ES. 2007. Subclinical Acute Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Positive Crossmatch Renal Allografts. American Journal of Transplantation; 7:576- 585.
  36. Fine DM, Garg N, Haas M, Rahman MH, Lucas GM, Scheel PJ, Atta MG. 2007. Cocaine use and Hypertensive Renal Changes in HIV infected individuals. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 2(6):1125-30.
  37. Peters DH, Bloom G, Rahman MH, Bhuiya A, Kanjilal B, Oladepo O, Pariyo G, Zhenzhong Z, Sundaram S. 2006. Research for Future Health Systems. Global Forum Update on Research for Health, volume 3; 133-137.
  38. Stanton C, Lawn JE, Rahman H, Wilezynska-Ketende K, Hill K. 2006. Stillbirth rates: delivering estimates for 190 countries. The Lancet; 367:1487-1494.
  39. Haas M, Rahman MH, Racusen LC, Kraus ES, Bagnasco SM, Segev DL, Simpkin CE, Warren DS, King KE, Zachary AA and Maongomery RA. 2006. C4d and C3d Staining in Biopsies of ABO- and HLA Incompatible Renal Allografts: Correlation with Histological Findings. American Journal of Transplantation; 6: 1829-1840.
  40. Estrella M. Fine DM, Gallant JE, Rahman MH, Nagajothi N, Racusen LC, Scheel PJ, Atta AG. 2006. HIV-1 RNA Level as a Clinical Indicator of Renal Pathology in HIV-Infected Patients. Clinical Infectious Diseases; 43:377-80.
  41. Atta AG, Gallant J, Rahman MH, Nagajothi N, Racusen LC, Scheel PJ, Fine DM. 2006. Antiretroviral therapy in the treatment of HIV-Associated Nephropathy. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation . 21(10):2809-13. =
  42. Mehta TK, Hoque MO, Ugarte R, Rahman MH, Kraus E, Melancon K, Montgomery R, Sidransky D & Rabb H. 2006. Quantitative detection of promoter hypermethylation as a biomarker of acute kidney injury during transplantation. Transplantation Proceedings. doi:10.1016/j.transproceed.2006.10.149
  43. Rahman MH, Akhter HH, Chowdhury MEEK, Yusuf HR, Rochat RW. 2002. Obstetric Deaths in Bangladesh, 1996-97. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 77; 161-69.
  44. Yusuf HR, Akhter HH, Rahman MH, Chowdhury MEEK, Rochat RW. 2000. Injury related deaths among women aged 10-50 years in Bangladesh, 1996-97. The Lancet; 355:1220-24.

Book Chapters (Peer Reviewed) 

  1. Rahman MH and Ahmed T*. 2014. The Case for a Unified Policy Framework Supporting a Pluralist Health System in Bangladesh In Endow T, Sengupta M, Mazumdar S (Eds), Human Development in the Global South: Emerging Perspectives in the Era of Post-Millennium Development Goals, Institute for Human Development: New Delhi.
  2. Rahman MH and Agarwal S. 2013. Drug Detailers and the Pharmaceutical Market in Bangladesh In Bloom G, Kanjilal B, Lucas H and Peters DH (Eds). Transforming Health Markets in Asia and Africa: Improving Quality and Access for the Poor. United Kingdom. Earthscan from Routledge. London and New York.
  3. Matsubayashi T*, Peters DH and Rahman H. 2009. Analysis of Cross-country Changes in Health Services. In Peters DH, El-Saharty S, Siadat B, Janovsky K, Vujicic M (Eds). Improving Health Service Delivery in Developing Countries: From Evidence to Action. Washington DC: The World Bank.