Dr. Nazik Nurelhuda Suleiman profile picture

Associate Professor

Dr. Nazik Nurelhuda Suleiman

Dr. Nazik Nurelhuda is an Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences, HBMSU. She possesses more than fourteen years of experience in public health practice and global research. 

School of Health Sciences

Academic Biography

  • Health professional’s education and the role of AI in advancing equity in learning
  • Migration and humanitarian health
  • Noncommunicable disease prevention and quality management
  • Public health entrepreneurship
  • Community-based and co-produced health promotion
     
  1. BDS (Hons) – University of Khartoum – Sudan – 2002
  2. PhD in Public Health – University of Bergen – Norway – 2011
  3. International Certificate in Risk Management – Institute for Risk Management (IRM) – United Kingdom – 2015
  4. Fellowship – Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) – United States – 2019
  5. Postgraduate Certificate in Health Professions Education: Accreditation and Assessment – Keele University – United Kingdom – 2019
  6. FFPH (Through Distinction) – Faculty of Public Health, Royal College of Physicians – United Kingdom – 2022

Dr. Nazik Nurelhuda has over fifteen years of experience in public health, academia, and health systems development across Sudan, Norway, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. She began her career at Sudan’s Public Health Institute, where she helped bridge research, practice, and education. Before joining HBMSU, she held academic roles at the Universities of Khartoum and Toronto, leading initiatives to modernize public health education and strengthen community engagement. She has also served as a consultant for the World Health Organization, contributing to policy development and knowledge translation in health systems and oral health. Dr. Nurelhuda has led and collaborated on internationally funded projects with partners such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Guided by a vision for global equity, she leverages smart learning to build knowledge and capacity that strengthen communities and prepare the next generation of public health leaders.

Recent Publications

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

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  1. Ahmed, S. A. E., AbuKoura, R., Ahmed, A. E., Abdalla, O., Hassan, O. K., Tom, A., ... Nurelhuda, N. M. (2024). Changes in social mixing and attitudes and practices to precautionary measures in a maturing COVID-19 pandemic in six communities in Sudan: A qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 895.
  2. Elkhodary, H. M., Abdelnabi, M. H., Swelem, A. A., Sabbagh, H. J., El Meligy, O. A. E. S., Talaat, I. M., ... Nurelhuda, N. M. (2023). Individual, familial, and country-level factors associated with oral hygiene practices in children: An international survey. BMC Oral Health, 23(1), 50.
  3. Alzarouni, N., Salem, A., Nurelhuda, N., & Osman, R. (2022). Role of laparoscopy in patients with abdominal trauma: Rashid Hospital Trauma Center experience. Journal of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Acute Care, 2022(1), 30.
  4. Gaafar, A., AbdelRahman, R., Elsaid, N., & Nurelhuda, N. (2022). Effect of gum Arabic on plaque-induced gingivitis: A randomized controlled trial. Saudi Dental Journal, 34(6), 349–356.
  5. Eslami-Amirabadi, N., Nurelhuda, N. M., Nicolau, B., & Macdonald, M. E. (2022). Advancing a programme theory for community-level oral health promotion for humanitarian migrants: A realist review protocol. BMJ Open, 12(2), e049923.
  6. Nurelhuda, N. M., Keboa, M. T., Lawrence, H. P., Nicolau, B., & Macdonald, M. E. (2021). Advancing our understanding of dental care pathways of refugees and asylum seekers in Canada: A qualitative study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 8874.
  7. Sekulić, S., John, M. T., Bekes, K., Al-Harthy, M. H., Michelotti, A., Reissmann, D. R., ... Nurelhuda, N. M. (2021). Frequency of four-dimensional oral health problems across dental fields: A comparative survey of Slovenian and international dentists. Zdravstveno Varstvo, 60(4), 210–220.
  8. Bekes, K., John, M. T., Rener-Sitar, K., Al-Harthy, M. H., Michelotti, A., Reissmann, D. R., ... Nurelhuda, N. M. (2021). Pediatric patients’ reasons for visiting dentists in all WHO regions. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 19(1), 165.
  9. Nur, M., Wagialla, N. A., Eltigany, M., Elemam, M., Ibrahim, N., Ali, N., ... Nurelhuda, N. (2021). Determinants of tobacco use in Sudan: Secondary analysis of STEPwise Survey 2016. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 27(2), 116–123.
  10. John, M. T., Sekulić, S., Bekes, K., Al-Harthy, M. H., Michelotti, A., Reissmann, D. R., ... Nurelhuda, N. M. (2020). Why patients visit dentists: A study in all World Health Organization regions. Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice, 20(3), 101459.
  11. Abdelmagid, N., Ahmed, S. A. E., Nurelhuda, N., Zainalabdeen, I., Ahmed, A., Fadlallah, M. A., & Dahab, M. (2021). Acceptability and feasibility of shielding strategies during the COVID-19 outbreak: A qualitative study in six Sudanese communities. BMC Public Health, 21, 1153.
  12. Macdonald, M. E., Keboa, M. T., Nurelhuda, N. M., Lawrence, H. P., & Carnevale, F. (2019). The oral health of refugees and asylum seekers in Canada: A mixed methods study protocol. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(4), 595.
  13. Dahab, M., Abdelmagid, N., Osama, T., Nurelhuda, N., Abutalib, Z., & Spiegel, P. (2019). Political violence in Sudan: The need for a coordinated, locally led humanitarian health response. The Lancet, 394(10198), 549–551.
  14. Ali, M. H. M., & Nurelhuda, N. M. (2019). Oral health status and its determinants in children with leukaemia in Khartoum State, Sudan. Sudanese Journal of Paediatrics, 19(2), 93–100.
  15. Nurelhuda, N. M., Morahan, P., Hamad, B., & Tariq, M. (2018). Incorporating community-based education to develop socially responsible Sudanese dentists. Medical Education, 52(11), 1194–1195.
  16. Nurelhuda, N. M., Bashir, A., ElKogali, S., Mustafa, M., Kruk, M., & Aziz, M. A. (2018). Encouraging junior doctors to work in rural Sudan: A discrete choice experiment. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 24(9), 838–845.
  17. Nurelhuda, N. M., & Yousif, A. (2017). Generic skills training through interprofessional peer-assisted learning. Medical Education, 51(11), 1185–1186.
  18. Tagelsir, A., Khogli, A. E., & Nurelhuda, N. M. (2013). Oral health of visually impaired schoolchildren in Khartoum State, Sudan. BMC Oral Health, 13, 33.
  19. Nurelhuda, N. M., Malde, M. K., Ahmed, M. F., & Trovik, T. A. (2013). Correlation between caries experience and dietary habits among Sudanese schoolchildren. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 13(2).
  20. Nurelhuda, N. M., Al-Haroni, M., Trovik, T. A., & Bakken, V. (2010). Caries experience and quantification of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus in saliva of Sudanese schoolchildren. Caries Research, 44(4), 402–407.
  21. Nurelhuda, N. M., Ahmed, M. F., Trovik, T. A., & Åstrøm, A. N. (2010). Evaluation of oral health-related quality of life among Sudanese schoolchildren using the Child-OIDP inventory. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 8, 152.
  22. Nurelhuda, N. M., Trovik, T. A., Ali, R. W., & Ahmed, M. F. (2009). Oral health status of 12-year-old schoolchildren in Khartoum State, Sudan: A school-based survey. BMC Oral Health, 9, 15.

2. Book Chapters

  1. Nurelhuda, N. (2022). The role of diet in caries prevention. In S. Groisman (Ed.), Promotion of maternal and child oral health (pp. 195–214). São Paulo: Diferenças.
  2. Nurelhuda, N., Lee, H., & Bridge, G. (2021). Oral health in the Arab world: The silent epidemic of dental caries. In I. Laher (Ed.), Handbook of healthcare in the Arab world. Cham: Springer.

Reports for National and International Organizations

  1. World Health Organization. (2022). Mid-term progress report on the implementation of the regional oral health strategy 2016–2025: Addressing oral diseases as part of noncommunicable diseases in the WHO African Region (Contributor: Nazik M. Nurelhuda).
  2. Global Child Dental Fund. (2020). Curriculum on special care dentistry for dental students and professionals in Africa (Co-author: Nazik M. Nurelhuda).
  3. World Health Organization & Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan. (2016). Sudan’s National Oral Health Policy (Lead author: Nazik M. Nurelhuda).
  4. World Health Organization & Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan. (2016). Stepwise Survey Report, Sudan 2016 (Co-author: Nazik M. Nurelhuda).
  5. Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan. (2016). Strengthening primary health care in Sudan through a family health approach: Policy options (Co-author: Nazik M. Nurelhuda).
  6. National Health Insurance Fund, Sudan. (2014). Employing mobile technology for enrolment of the informal sector in the national health insurance scheme: Feasibility and acceptability study (Co-author: Nazik M. Nurelhuda).
  7. Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan. (2014). Health financing system review report (Co-author: Nazik M. Nurelhuda).
  8. Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan. (2011). National Cancer Strategy 2011–2016 (Co-author: Nazik M. Nurelhuda).
  9. Khartoum Refinery Company. (2013). Health impact assessment in the oil and gas industry in Khartoum, Sudan (Lead author and chair: Nazik M. Nurelhuda).
  10. World Health Organization. (2012). Promoting access to high-quality primary health care services in Sudan (Policy brief) (Co-author: Nazik M. Nurelhuda).

Non–Peer-Reviewed Publications, Media, and Blog Contributions

  1. Nurelhuda, N. M. (2021). Research on COVID-19 in Sudan. Al-Hikma: The Official Magazine of the Sudan Doctors Union (UK Branch), Summer Issue.
  2. Nurelhuda, N. M., & Lawrence, H. P. (2017). What more can be done for the oral health of Syrian refugees in Ontario? Mosaic: Newsletter of the Canadian Association of Public Health Dentistry, Fall Issue.