简介
Professor Kaosar Afsana has over 30 years of experience in public health, encompassing research, implementation, management, and policy influencing at both local and global levels. Her background is broad, having been involved in research and evaluation during her early years at BRAC, the largest NGO in the world. Her work primarily focused on monitoring and evaluating Women’s Health and Development, Reproductive Health, and Primary Health Care. Subsequently, she joined BRAC's Health, Nutrition, and Population Programme (HNPP) as a senior manager to coordinate and implement the National Nutrition Programme led by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Bangladesh, and supported by the World Bank. She conceptualized, designed, implemented, and managed two successful, large, and complex interventions on reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) in urban slums and rural districts, with a budget of USD 73 million for five years funded by the Gates Foundation, and the British, Australian, and Dutch Governments. She has made significant contributions to community-based nutrition programmes focusing on maternal and child nutrition and introduced and led mHealth interventions at BRAC. Prof. Afsana later served as the Director leading BRAC HNPP with an annual budget of USD 30-40 million until her tenure ended in 2018. She has contributed to both development and humanitarian sectors. During her tenure at BRAC, she was deeply involved in advocacy and policy influencing in MNCH and nutrition through the PMNCH and the SUN Movement on a global scale and within Bangladesh. Despite her affiliation with BRAC James P. Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University since its inception, Prof. Afsana formally joined the School in February 2019 and was tasked with leading research and advocacy in crisis and conflict areas as the Head of the Humanitarian Hub at JPGSPH. She has expertise in designing and conducting public health and nutrition research using critical perspectives of social science and medical anthropology. Her strength lies in employing qualitative methods, including ethnography. Over the years, she has accumulated vast knowledge and experience in health system strengthening, nutrition-related issues, and food systems in low- and middle-income countries. In 2020, Prof. Afsana became the Vice-Chair of the Science Group of the United Nations Food System Summit 2021 (UNFSS 2021). She has made immense contributions to the science-policy interface and dialogues on food systems, nutrition, gender, etc., in the UNFSS 2021 at global, regional, and national levels. Prof. Afsana has authored two books, edited one book, and widely published over 120 papers, largely in international peer-reviewed journals, books, and monographs/technical reports. She has been awarded many prestigious awards for her academic and professional excellence. Her extensive experience in research, implementation, and policy advocacy has positioned her in numerous international and local agencies, including the government of Bangladesh, to influence science-policy interfacing at both country and global levels in various arenas of health and nutrition.
