Khaldoun Alassad, MD, MS (OB/GYN)
Contact information in Syria:
Khaldoun Alassad, MD, MS (OB/GYN)
Chief Director of Quality Assurance Program
Quneitra Health Directorate, Ministry of Health
Mazzeh Jabal, Harsh Street
Damascus, Syria
T: (963) 944381438
E: khaldounalassad@yahoo.com Contact information at Tulane:
Humphrey Fellowship Program
Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Department of International Health and Development
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112
P: 504-988-3966 F: 504-988-3653 Technical expertise: Primary Health Care, Quality Assurance Program in health services Dr. Alassad is a Hubert H. Humphrey fellow from Syria. Dr. Alassad is a physician with a master degree in OB/GYN. He graduated from the Ivan Petrovich Pavlov Medical Institute of Leningrad (Russia), and has worked in primary health care centers in Syria since 1998. Dr. Alassad began his career at Healthy Villages, a community based program that specialized in improving community health and village health lifestyles. In 2000, Dr. Alassad became the head of the primary health care department in the Quneitra Governorate, which is one of 14 provinces in Syria. In this position, Dr. Alassad worked in TB, HIV/AIDS, mother and child health, reproductive health and family planning, and many other areas of public health. Dr. Alassad has also cooperated with WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, and other organizations in Syria. In 2005, he obtained his current position, as Chief Director for the Quality Assurance Program in the directorate, which reports to the Ministry of Health. As a Humphrey Fellow at Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Dr. Alassad is focusing on health system management and total quality management, trying to obtain more knowledge, skills and experience to improve the quality of health services in Syria.
A. S. Mohammad Nurullah Awal, MBBS, MSS
Contact Information in Bangladesh:
A. S. Mohammad Nurullah Awal, MBBS, MSS
Public Health Specialist
168, Central Bashabo (2nd Floor)
Dhaka 1214, Bangladesh
M: 88-01711-266349 P: 880-2-7213702
E: nurullah.awal@gmail.com Contact Information at Tulane:
Humphrey Fellowship Program
Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Department of International Health and Development
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112
P: 504-988-3966 F: 504-988-3653 Technical expertise: Public health ophthalmology, capacity development; M & E; Health system development. For the last four years, Dr. A. S. Mohammad Nurullah Awal has been working with ORBIS International Bangladesh as program manager. With his immense interest and passion, he has been involved not only in newer program development, implementation and monitoring activities in the blindness prevention works, but also has shown tremendous skill and success in innovative program approach promotion. Dr. Awal has risen to the challenge to install newer eye care initiatives, like diabetic retinopathy for the first time in Bangladesh. He was a team member for installing demand side financing in eye care which has been recognized by WHO. He has also worked on pediatric eye care facility development and the country's first pediatric blindness cost burden study. Dr. Awal, one of the youngest and most promising public health professionals of Bangladesh, is a medical doctor with an advanced academic education in public health and health economics. Since his primary school to the medical university, he received government scholarship at all levels for his excellent academic results. After school, instead of working in a large urban hospital, Dr. Awal decided to dedicate himself professionally to work with the largely underserved population of rural Bangladesh. He has shown tremendous professional attainment, quality assurance and training system development for eye care professionals in different public health programs. He has eight years of progressive, solid experience from the field level to senior mid level positions encompassing research and training towards a managerial position. With WHO, UNFPA and UNDP support, he has attended several national and international training programs and seminars which advanced skills and knowledge. Dr. Awal has presented papers in national and international conferences and several of his articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals. Currently, in his HHH fellowship at Tulane University, his focus is on monitoring and evaluation of field level programs and ultimately to develop a sustainable health system.
Rhoda Patricia Banda, MPH
Contact Information in Malawi:
Rhoda Patricia Banda, MPH
Gender, Poverty & Training Coordinator
National Tuberculosis Control Programme
Ministry of Health
P/Bag 65, Lilongwe, Malawi
M: 09-99-945820 F: 01-752308
E: rhobanda@hotmail.com Contact Information at Tulane:
Humphrey Fellowship Program
Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Department of International Health and Development
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112
P: 504-988-3966 F: 504-988-3653 Technical expertise: Quality Improvement Mentorship, Gender & Poverty, Training, Tuberculosis Control, Public Health Working with the National Tuberculosis Program in Malawi, Ms. Banda is responsible for gender and poverty coordination in relation to TB Control. She advocates mainly for equity in provision of care especially to vulnerable groups such as women, children and poor people. Ms. Banda is also responsible for trainings and other human resources development activities for the program. She has worked on quality improvement training/mentorship for the program with assistance from the CDC’s Sustainable Management Development Program. As a result of that work, Ms. Banda presented her findings at the Global Health Conference in Washington, DC, in 2005. She has also made several presentations of her work at international meetings such as the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases’ (IUATLD) annual conferences. She is part of the team that conducts public health management training and mentorship for district health management teams which is supported in Malawi by CDC. Ms. Banda has spearheaded development and revision of training materials and strategies such as the Tuberculosis Training Manual for Undergraduates, Human Resources Develop Strategy and Gender and Poverty Strategy for the TB Program in Malawi. Ms. Banda has a Master of Public Health from Cardiff University, Wales UK; a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences Education from Mzuzu University, Malawi; and a Diploma in Clinical Medicine from the Malawi College of Health Sciences. Ms. Banda views the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship as instrumental in her profession in terms of leadership, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of public health programs that are accessible to all, including those people that are vulnerable. The skills acquired during the fellowship will greatly contribute to her vision to better serve the Malawi nation, Africa and the World, as they work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Xu Fuhai, LLM
Contact Information in China:
Xu Fuhai, LLM
Associate Researcher, National Disaster Reduction Center of China
Ministry of Civil Affairs
No.7, Baiguang Road, Xuanwu District,
Beijing, China
T: 86-10 83529991 E: xufuhai2005@hotmail.com Contact Information at Tulane:
Humphrey Fellowship Program
Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Department of International Health and Development
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112
P: 504-988-3966 F: 504-988-3653 Technical expertise: Disaster reduction, crisis management, climate change, training, social work, public policy and public health As the associate researcher of National Reduction Center of China, Ministry of Civil Affairs, China, Mr. Fuhai Xu have been working on disaster management and public policy analysis for more than six years. His field includes public policy, disaster preparedness, emergency response, disaster relief and post-disaster recovery. In recent years, Mr. Fuhai has paid great attention to the improvement of the public awareness in disaster reduction. He has been actively mobilizating resources for knowledge and skill learning in disaster reduction for the government officials. And he has been devoting himself to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels by using professional knowledge and educational studies. As a Humphrey Fellow, Mr. Fuhai has been studying at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University. He is engaged in a series of activities, including coursework, surveys, research, field trips, internships, seminars and conferences, and professional networking. He would like to know make friends and keep contact with experts, students and individuals to improve the cooperation in the field of crisis management and public health. Mr. Fuhai initially studied sociology at Beijing University and, in June 2003, got a Master of Law Degree. He is also interested in the topic of social issues, such as social policies, social work and equality. At the same time, he hopes to make many friends from different cultures and visit some families in USA and understand how the people live.
Husam Majeed Hameed, MD
Contact Information in Iraq:
Husam Majeed Hameed, MD
ENT Head & Neck Surgeon, Head of Anatomy & Biology Department
School of Medicine, Wassit University
Al Kut, Iraq
T: 5415139383
E : iraqman3@yahoo.com Contact Information at Tulane:
Humphrey Fellowship Program
Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Department of International Health and Development
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112
P: 504-988-3966 F: 504-988-3653 Technical expertise: Ear Nose Throat Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Human Anatomy Dr. Hameed is an ENT head and neck surgeon. He is actively establishing an ENT department in his hospital, working for the creation of an audiological unit, a cochlear implant center, and a head and neck tumors management center in his hospital. Dr. Hameed is head of the anatomy and biology department in the School of Medicine at Wassit University in Al Kut, Iraq; a department he was active in establishing. As a Humphrey Fellow, Dr. Hameed has a great desire to gain current training and understanding in the medical and educational fields so that he can improve patient outcomes in Iraq’s hospitals and raise the scientific level in his school of medicine. Dr. Hameed is focusing his studies at Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine on health system management. At the same time, Dr. Hameed is centering his professional development time on clinical observations by attending the ENT Head and Neck Department activities at Tulane Hospital, especially oncological surgeries of the neck. This is important for Iraq because of the increased numbers of tumor patients in the last few years. In addition, Dr. Hameed is investigating, in depth, the medical curriculum and teaching methods that have been developed and are in use in the Tulane School of Medicine. Dr. Hameed hopes that he can rebuild, reform and achieve quality improvement in Iraq’s health system and the teaching of medicine by sharing all his knowledge and skills with his Iraqi colleagues and to be a trainer for other Iraqi trainees.
Ellina Lytvyak, MD, PhD
Contact Information in Ukraine:
Ellina Lytvyak, MD, PhD
5/1 Galana St.
Dnipropetrovsk, 49081 Ukraine
T: 00 380 63 251 16 02
E: elowlosun@yahoo.com Contact Information at Tulane:
Humphrey Fellowship Program
Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Department of International Health and Development
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112
P: 504-988-3966 F: 504-988-3653 Technical expertise: obesity, biliary tract dysmotility, hepatic steatosis, gastroenterology, public health, prevention Dr. Ellina Lytvyak began her scientific career in 2003, after graduating from Dnipropetrovsk State Medical Academy, Ukraine. She started to do research on biliary tract motility in connection with the functional state of autonomic nervous system. Her dissertation, “Optimization of diagnostics and the medical correction of biliary tract dysfunction,” was defended in 2005. It resulted in the development of new innovations in this area and co-author’s patent publication in 2006 of, “Method for functional diagnosis of autonomic regulation state providing for motility of biliary tract”. After finishing this study, Dr. Lytvyak got her PhD degree in Gastroenterology. Dr. Lytvyak’s work has focused on both the theoretical scientific direction and in clinical practice. As medical doctor, she diagnoses and treats acute and chronic (therapeutic and gastroenterological) diseases in outpatients, conducts medical research, and implements their results into routine clinical practice. Simultaneously, due to Dr. Lytvyak’s ability to create and develop new ideas, she continues to do research on non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis; lipid profile imbalance; smoking; and obesity. In addition, Dr. Lytvyak is active in public health policy activities, notably, public school health education where she develops original presentations (focused on anti-smoking campaign, advantages of exercise) for delivery to children in local secondary schools to promote healthy lifestyles. Dr. Lytvyak also participates in adult health education by delivering workshops, lectures, group training to adults to increase awareness of risk factors affecting health and lifestyle; focus on smoking, alcohol, and nutrition. She is author and co-author of 29 scientific publications in medical journals worldwide and has been invited to many international congresses and conferences. The principle "Healthy People in a Healthy World – Through Prevention" will dominate in her professional future. In Dr. Lytvyak’s point of view, the best result in Public Health and Scientific activities is based on strong basic knowledge, associated skills development, and effective team relationships. Participation in the Hubert H. Humphrey Program gives to her incredible opportunities to improve her leadership, managerial and communicative qualities, establish new connection with US professionals and embody all goals successfully. She sees the Hubert H. Humphrey Program as the key to future professional success.
Osita Okonkwo, MD, FPIN
Contact Information in Nigeria:
Osita Okonkwo, MD, FPIN
Physician, Chief Medical Director,
Dosso Hospital Services
AK 5 Yoruba Road, Off Lagos Street
Kaduna, Nigeria
T: 234-803-719-8640 or 234-802-310-6197
E: ositasnr@yahoo.com Contact Information at Tulane:
Humphrey Fellowship Program
Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Department of International Health and Development
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112
P: 504-988-3966 F: 504-988-3653 Technical expertise: Monitoring and Evaluation, Quality Assurance, Health Program Design and Implementation, Health Policy and Management, Workforce Development. Osita Okonkwo is a physician with extraordinary passion for improving the quality of access to care to the underserved communities in Nigeria where he has worked extensively for of his career. He was, until recently, the resident physician a General Hospital Makarfi, a rural-based government-run hospital in Northern Nigeria, where he was exceptional in delivering quality healthcare to these relatively remote communities even with limited resources. He was the focal person for the successful implementation of the comprehensive VCT, PMTCT, MCH and HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support program of the Kaduna State Government in collaboration with CU-ICAPNG, PATHS, Pathfinder. Dr. Okonkwo’s responsibilities also included the supervision of compliance to infection prevention and hospital waste management practices of the facilities in the district (a program of JSI/MMIS) and coordination of staff training and supervision. He was a lead faculty in the training of middle level healthcare personnel in the State-run School of Health Science and Technology/Makarfi, where he conducted training on clinical methods, ethics and practices. As the health advisor to the Nigerian Red Cross in the State, Dr. Okonkwo is responsible for decision-making, goal setting and problem solving for the coordination and strategic development of health programs for the Red Cross at the State Chapter level. He has developed and implemented strategic blood donation programs and measles surveillance and intervention strategies for the Chapter. During his Humphrey year, Dr. Okonkwo will be studying public health policy and management, in the department of International Health and Development. In addition, he will develop skills in epidemiology, monitoring and evaluation, and health system management, so that he can lead in efforts at improving maternal and child survival strategies in his country, through healthcare system strengthening, and workforce retention and development. A graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, with extensive advanced clinical training in reproductive health, Dr. Okonkwo is widely travelled within and outside his country for trainings and conferences. He has immense rapport and experience with respect to dealing with people of diverse religions, ethnic and racial backgrounds. Dr. Okonkwo is a good team player who enjoys learning from friends and colleagues and making new contacts with people from all over the world.
Vesela Radovic, PhD Contact Information in Serbia:
Vesela Radovic, PhD
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Environmental Governance and Corporate
Responsibility, EDUCONS University
Novi Sad, Serbia
T: 38162277487
E: veselaradovic@yahoo.com Contact Information at Tulane:
Humphrey Fellowship Program
Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Department of International Health and Development
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112
P: 504-988-3966 F: 504-988-3653 Technical expertise: disaster management, fire safety, environmental protection and management of natural resources Vesela Radovic is an assistant professor in the EDUCONS University in Serbia. Dr. Radovic has an MPH in fire safety protection and a PhD in safety, protection and defense from the Faculty of Safety in Belgrade. She has a long record of experience in the area of disaster management and civil protection. In the Department for Emergency Management at the Ministry of Defense, she organized and planned activities for all kind of disasters. As an expert in the area of disaster management she prepared the handbook for the specialized course Methodology of Risk Assessment and Emergency Management Planning at the Local Level. This manual was a part of the activities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Serbia Preparedness, Planning and Economic Security Program (PPES), now implemented by the Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI/Washington). The goal of the program is to build local capacities to adequately respond to emergency situations and provide the support necessary to vulnerable populations. During her year with the Humphrey Fellowship, Dr. Radovic will focus on public policy making and emergency preparedness in order to have enough knowledge to help her country in supporting the necessary reforms in the context of Euro-Atlantic Integrations. She also wants to have an advantage of being able to use the examples of international best practices, as well as to learn from the experiences of the United States how to build a functional and integrated emergency management system. 
Nuwan Thapthiang, PhD
Contact Information in Thailand:
Nuwan Thapthiang, PhD
Associate Dean, Academic and International Affairs
Faculty of Communication Sciences,
Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus
Pattani 94000, Thailand
T: (66-86) 821-2016 F: (66-73) 349-692
E: tnuwan@bunga.pn.psu.ac.th Contact Information at Tulane:
Humphrey Fellowship Program
Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Department of International Health and Development
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112
P: 504-988-3966 F: 504-988-3653 Technical expertise: Mass communication, science communication, health communication and education After five years of working in the private business sector and with a Royal Thai Government scholarship, Dr. Nuwan Thapthiang changed her career path to academia to pursue her masters and doctorate degrees in mass communication. In addition to serving as Associate Dean for Academic and International Affairs of Faculty of Communication Sciences, at Prince of Songkla University, Dr. Thapthiang has been a lecturer in the field of Mass Communication since 2004. Her fields of interest cover audience analysis, media effects and science communication. In 2008, Dr. Thapthiang was greatly involved in designing an undergraduate program in Science Communication and is responsible for teaching its courses. She is also interested in health communication and education, minority health disparity, health policy management, and disaster management. Her latest research focused on searching for health communicators in a multi-cultural region. During her Humphrey Fellowship year, Dr. Thapthiang’s program plan includes coursework, field trips, internship, seminars and conferences, and professional networking and visits. In addition, being a Humphrey Fellow will permit her to gain comparative insights from peers with differences in cultures, languages and faiths. She hopes to form new partnerships to help strengthen her important presence in the main university of southern Thailand and allow her to apply what she will have learned to deliver health messages effectively to the people in the area and beyond. In her view, it is crucial to understand how health communication leads people to change their behaviors and how to use communication strategies to delicately create and deliver health information for practical ways of leading a life with heightened quality. Upon her return to Thailand, Dr. Thapthiang wishes to design a degree program in health communication with a focus on communication strategies for effective delivery of health information to multi-cultural communities.
Sinaly Lacina Thera, MD, Dip TMH
Contact Information in Mali:
Sinaly Lacina Thera, MD, Dip TMH
National Health Headquarters
National Coordinator of Supplementary Feeding Program
Magnambougou Projet, Street 272, Apt 213
Bamako, Mali
T: 00 223 66 80 56 22
E: therasinaly@yahoo.fr Contact Information at Tulane:
Humphrey Fellowship Program
Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Department of International Health and Development
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112
P: 504-988-3966 F: 504-988-3653 Technical expertise: Child survival, tuberculosis, HIV and management Dr. Sinaly Thera holds an MD (University of Mali) and a DTM&H earned from at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2009. Upon graduation from medical school in Mali, he worked for one year at a private clinic. But with a passion for public service, after a while, he joined the public administration and served at the district hospital of Koulikoro. As the Deputy Chief Doctor at the hospital, Dr. Thera has accumulated a great deal of experience in management of the information health system, epidemiological surveillance, response to outbreaks, management of immunization programs, and the coordinaiion of the implementation of DOTS and PMTCT. Since 2006, Dr. Thera has been working at the National Health Headquarters within the Nutrition Department as the Coordinator of the Supplementary Feeding Program and Support to Community Health Services. As such, he plans, organizes, coordinates and oversees activities carried out through the implementation of this program that address the acute malnutrition among children under five years of age, pregnant women, people suffering from tuberculosis and those living with HIV. Under the Humphrey program at Tulane University, Dr. Thera will bolster his ability in public health policy and management so that he can contribute to lessening the burden of health issues in Mali.
Zhang Wei, MD, MPH
Contact Information in China:
Zhang Wei, MD, MPH, Deputy Director
Office of Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau
Room 1525, No 1208 Minsheng Road, Shanghai, China
T: 86-21 38620032 E: alex6799@sina.com Contact Information at Tulane:
Humphrey Fellowship Program
Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Department of International Health and Development
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200, New Orleans, LA 70112
P: 504-988-3966 F: 504-988-3653 Technical Expertise: food hygiene and health quarantine Mr. Zhang works in China as deputy director of the administration office of Shangha Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (Shciq) which is under the Administration of Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine of China (Aqsiq). He has wide-ranging experience in health quarantine and food safety. He has collaborated on projects with government and university experts statewide. In addition, Mr. Zhang’s interests including technological barriers to world trade, such as Technical Barriers of Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS). In 2005, Mr. Zhang was nominated to attend the 50/100 training program by the Shanghai government which was held in the WTO headquarters in Geneva. He earned his Bachelor degree of public health in 1993 from Shanghai Medical University and a Master degree of food hygiene from Fudan University in 2004. While a Humphrey Fellow, Mr. Zhang will focus his efforts on food safety policies and the control of infectious diseases. _____________________________________________________________________________
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