I am British national, medical graduate with master in public policy and public health.

I have more than

two decades of experience in Pakistan, Europe and the UK in different role in development and public
health. Though long interested, and experienced, in migrant related issues, my recent interest in the field
of travel medicine surged when I wrote my masters thesis on UK migration polices impacts on migrant
right to health and migrant health. The thesis used Zimmermans migration phases framework
developed by LSHTM to research migrant routes to the UK and the specific health needs of migrants at
each stage (from pre-travel, travel and interception to destination). In addition, my thesis also explored
the broader policy and legal architecture of the EUs asylum and immigration system and the state of
migrants right to health. This overarching conceptual framework is quite central to travel medicine
approach to migrants stranded or on the move in Greece. This preoccupation with travel medicine is
informed by my own experience as a political refugee with medical background in the UK and my
practical and policy level engagement with migrant-related health and advocacy work ever since.

I believe any travel medicine/migrant health project must begin with a team leader with project
management, budget management and people management skills to be sustainable and successful. I
possess the right skills as evidenced in the flowing few lines specific to this vital aspect of the work

From 2012 to 2015 I was engaged by DAI-DFID programme on voice and accountability interventions in
improving health service provision in 43 districts of Pakistan. The programme AAWAAZ, of 34 million
pounds worth, seeks to improve participation of the service users in transforming health service delivery
in 43 districts of Pakistan. I was involved in the design of the programme. The programme worked with
four major voluntary sector organisations of Pakistan. I wrote the theory of change for the programme
and developed its partnership strategy by working with 4 national partners and the UK-based
Development Alternatives and the UK department of international development. I worked across 4 large
partners organisations, with different organisational cultures, to find shared goals and outcomes for the
programme. The shared outcome and theory of change document was turned into an implementation
plan for the programme which was piloted in 8 districts of Pakistan. The review of the pilot was very
encouraging enough for the UK government to scale it up to 43 districts of Pakistan. I authored the
partnership strategy, theory of change, implementation plan and oversaw the pilot phase of the
implementation phase.

As CEO of the Network for Consumer protection Pakistan leading NGO on public health focused work. I
was responsible for overall management of the organisation. At one point, I ran three projects on the
promotion of breastfeeding, the uptake of iodized salt and tobacco control measures and strategies at
the federal level at the same time. My work involved donor liaison, project proposal writing, bids
submission, project cycle management from its initial roll out to its successful implementation and
evaluation. The role involved making sure all output and outcomes of the programmes were delivered on
time and to agreed budgets and timelines. I built up the teams, led on strategic planning, fundraising
and project implementation, external facing work to enhance the credibility of the organisation. Thus,
the Network has become one of the most influential charity organisation working on health and health
service delivery improvement issues. During my time as the CEO, I represented the organisation at
external meetings internationally (in the WHO middle east region in Cairo, and Malaysia) and internally
with federal officials, WHO, UNICEF and other regional bodies and the media. I also presented the
viewpoint of the Network to the media by making media appearances and writing op-ed policy articles.
For example, I did several programmes on local FM radio on the need for exclusive breastfeeding and the
provision of smoking cessation services

One of the major health hazard migrant face is the mental health issues arising from racial and sexual
violence, discrimination, lack to health services and uncertain legal and residential status. Any team
leader must be both professionally, educationally competent to deal with these complex webs of issues
bearing down on the health needs of migrants and refugees. Here my deepened and long-running work
in mental health is of relevance. My work on the migration related health issues goes to my early days in
the UK where working for the Monitoring Group specialising in engagement with victims of racial
violence and harassment and discrimination. A large part of our work was with migrants and asylum-
seekers. I worked with local immigration detention centre on assessing health needs and legal aid
provision needs of immigration detainees. During my work I encountered many cases of racially
harassed asylum seekers and migrants living in failing housing estates psychologically marked by the
experience. I began referring my clients to the local GPs who were unable to adequately deal with the
cases either due to a busy schedule or a lack of expertise. I began exploring the need and extent of this
unmet need with a view to taking a decision as to how to address the mental health needs of this group.
I interviewed my clients as to how they were being treated by local primary trusts in Hounslow and
Ealing. I also reviewed extensive literature on the psychosocial needs of victims of hate as well as local
GP and psychiatrist services. The literature and interviews showed that there was a service gap in health
provision for victims of race hate crime -in particular, refugees and migrants. I also looked at the current
psychotherapy services offered by local primary health care trust in the area. Based on the research and
evidence collected and weighing that against the interviews I developed a project proposal for setting up
specialist trauma therapy services for victims of racial harassment at the Monitoring Group. The proposal
was submitted to several funders including Comic Relief. Because of the innovative nature of the idea the
project was granted funding. The project now benefits hundreds of migrant victims of race hate crimes in
London annually.

Right now, as part of my UK public health registration, I am on work placement with the Harrow councils
public health department. One strand of my work is mental health prevention and improvement
programme. In recent weeks, we ran two training workshop for the council staff and the NGOs engaged
in providing advice on mental health. The training was focussed on spotting signs of mental health issues
by frontline organisation staff and setting up the referral pathways. Also, I am involved in the launch of A
time for change campaign nationally which is aimed at reducing stigma and discrimination attached to
mental health issues. I also contributed to the advocacy and the launch plan of the council. More
importantly, I am also engaged in a unique suicide audit of suicide cases in Harrow. I am looking at the
inquest data available with coroner court at Barnet. The data will help us determine pattern, causes and
the role of mental health in suicide causation. I am also medically trained in psychiatry having done my
internship at Ganga Ram Teaching hospital in Lahore in Pakistan.

Another aspect of migrants perilous journey is sexual violence and sexual and reproductive health issue
of migrants particularly of Muslim origin because of cultural secrecy that surrounds such issues. Any
team leader must be well trained to deal with this growing, and often unacknowledged problem with
culturally sensitive dimension. I possess the training, skills and experience in the relevant area to fit the
bill.

In my current public health role, I am involved in the commissioning cycle for sexual health service
delivery in Harrow and Barnet. The intended commissioning intention is to transform delivery service in
the new health and social care landscape. One element of the service redesign focuses on generating
greater interest in e-health tools facilitating not only e-health consultation but procuring health kits
through the internet and other social media platform to improve uptake of the service and achieve
greater health outcomes for the local population. In addition, collaborative and joint commissioning with
other local authority are being explored. As a training advisor for the USAID-funded project on uptake of
contraceptive in Pakistan I had the difficult task of devising advocacy strategy which addressed young
couple reluctance to take up contraceptives and early child marriages. As training and advocacy advisor I
wrote advocacy strategy for the sexual and reproductive programme and trained all partner
organisations (Save the Children, Mercy Corps, Population Council). The programme saw 8 percent hike
in the uptake of contraceptive in the 20 programme districts. There is a great deal of sensitivity on the
issue of sexual and reproductive health in Pakistan. Sensing this sensitivity, I couched the use of
contraceptive in terms of improving family health rather than limiting family size which is considered
against religion. I reinforced this fine-spun advocacy message with the involvement of religious leaders in
spreading this message through Friday sermons. Because of this strategy, a complex public health issues
around sexual health issues were creatively advocated. Since refugee communities in Greece are mostly
Muslim I can contribute to this aspect of the programme huge. I speak English, Urdu, Hindi, Farsi
(reading) and Arabic (reading). More importantly, I attended diploma in Genitourinary medicine at
Liverpool university. Though I could not finish it due to financial and family reason, this reinforced my
medical training in the field of sexual and reproductive health

https://www.dawn.com/news/1218992/narrow-prism ( sensitive issues around SRH in Pakistan

and Muslim societies)

In terms of the broader political understanding of migration policy I have considerable publication and
work track record. During the humanitarian crisis, which displace more than one million people in 2007-
8 in the NWFP province of Pakistan I acted as advocacy and policy consultant for Oxfam Novib. I
organised stakeholders into an effective forum for better advocacy for Internally displaced persons. I was
involved in setting up Humanitarian Network which was meant to give voice to local perspective on
humanitarian responses. I also co-authored policy brief titled Too Little Too Slow with Oxfam
humanitarian advisor on the IDPs crisis in the KP(NWFP) crisis in 2008-2009 in Pakistan. The report was
used by Pakistan delegation to the EU donors conference for advocacy purposes. Please find links to the
report and my other policy intervention on refugees and migrants issues.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1288966/global-inaction (global refugee crisis)

Oxfams policy brief on internally displace population crisis : 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)

https://www.dawn.com/news/1286263/bombing-hospitals (MSF hospital and ethical issue of medical

humanitarianism)

https://www.dawn.com/news/1254811/pakistani-deportees (Greece EU deal and migrants in Greece)

Given my proven experience as project manager and executive, as an advocacy and policy specialist, as
government civil society partnership and policy coordination specialist , medically , public health and
public policy qualified and trained , as in migrant health specialist with special expertise in designing and
delivering culturally sensitive mental health and sexual and reproductive health services to diverse
population , as an experience pilot to large scale up sustainable project designer and implementer I can
be the best fit for the role of a medical coordinator .

Best wishes

Dr Arif Azad