Qatar Journal of Public Health
Editors-in-Chief
Sheikh Mohammed Hamad J. Al-Thani, PhD, Ministry of Public Health, Qatar
Dr. Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin J. Al-Thani has been the Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Public Health in the State of Qatar since 2008. Currently, he is the Director of Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention Programs, MOPH. Dr. Al-Thani has headed several national committees including chairing the National Preventive Health Committee. His other affiliations include being the Assistant Professor of Public Health (courtesy) at Weill Cornel Medical College, Qatar Executive Board Member, and Member of the Executive Board of Health Ministers’ Council, Gulf Collaboration Council (GCC) States. He has also participated in many research activities that have had a positive impact on public health programs in the region. Dr. Al-Thani graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University (1998) and received an Arab fellowship in Community Medicine in 2006. He gained a Fellowship from the Faculty of Public Health in London in 2010 and obtained a Masters in Business Administration in 2014 from HEC Paris.
Dr. Maha Al-Shamali, M.B.B. Ch, ABCM Qatar Council of Healthcare Professionals, Doha, Qatar
Dr Maha Al-Shamali is experienced Community Medicine Consultant with a proven track record in surveillance and communicable diseases control programs. She recently promoted to a leadership role as a head of Surveillance and Outbreaks Section at Ministry of Public Health in State of Qatar. She led the successful implementation of the Mass Gatherings Early Warning, Alert, and Response System (MG EWARS) project for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Dr Al-Shamali has provided technical leadership and operational management support to surveillance and COVID-19 case investigation teams (a team of more than 110 members). Furthermore, she supervised the development of workflows, data collection tools, data analysis and production of epidemiological bulletins for COVID-19 and other diseases. This includes data form electronic surveillance systems, Event Based Surveillance (including Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources, EIOS). Additionally, she played a vital role in planning, developing and implementing vital communicable disease programs and frameworks for critical diseases such as Tuberculosis (TB), Viral Hepatitis, Food Poisoning, MERS COV and STIs/ HIV. In addition to, participating in direct health screening programs, training and awareness raising programs and surveillance systems strengthening aimed at disease elimination while facilitating data analysis and knowledge sharing on public health impact.
Managing Editor
Dr. Devendra Bansal, PhD, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
Dr. Devendra Bansal is a public health scientist with 23 years of academic and professional experience. He has worked at institutions such as PGIMER in India, Institut Pasteur in France, and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar. Currently, he is employed at the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar, where his research focuses on Epidemiology, One Health, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and Zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. Dr. Bansal has published over 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has received funding from agencies including the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Institut Pasteur & Fondation des Treilles in Tourtour, France, Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Senior Editors
Dr. Hadi M. Yassine, PhD, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
Hadi Mohamad Yassine is an associate professor of infectious diseases and section head of research at the Qatar University Biomedical Research Center (BRC).His research and teaching experiences have been fostered by several years of intensive work at state-of-the-art and multi-disciplinary institutions. He has published over 200 articles, many of which are in top-tier scientific journals. He was named a highly cited researcher (top 0.1% worldwide) by Clarivate in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He received several awards in recognition of his work and contributed to seven patents on new designs of viral vaccines.
Dr. Hayat Mohamedbek, MBBS, MD, MSc, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
Dr. Hayat Khogali is Community Medicine Senior Consultant, with a doctoral degree in community medicine from Sudan and Arab Bord Health Specialization (MBBS and MD) and Medical Epidemiologist with a Masters in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from South Africa (MSc Epi & Bio), Worked with Sudan FMOH as a Head of National Epidemiology & Zoonotic Disease Program, with more than fifteen years of progressive experience in vast field of public health with focus on communicable disease surveillance, Outbreak investigation & control, in addition to Humanitarian Emergency & Response, Implementation of IHR core capacities, also she has experience in MCH , Immunization programs , Management , Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. She has a good experience in establishing vaccine preventable disease reporting System at different level, reporting, analyzing, using different statistical software for epidemiological data analysis. Dr. Khogali believes in multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural teams, which value the coordination and collaboration between different sectors; she had remarkable effort in implementing efficient and effective coordination activities between different parties in regard IHR, Communicable Diseases, VPD, Zoonotic Disease, One Health Concepts, and Integrated Surveillance.
In addition to Teaching and Learning experience among undergraduate and postgraduate candidates in different faculties and institutes in Sudan and international with different organization, her teaching experience includes course design, instruction and assessment in epidemiology, public health, and Medical Ethics with experience in postgraduate students’ supervision. Academic course management experience including Master/ PhD program management.
Dr. Khogali published in peer-reviewed journals, delivered conference oral and poster presentations in national and international meetings on different aspects of her work. Also, she is an active member of many national and international Public Health Associations and Networks.
In the past nine years Dr. Hayat joined the Ministry of Public Health- Doha, State of Qatar, at the Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control department, as Supervisor for the Expanded Program of Immunization and NITAG secretariat; part of her role is maintaining the high coverage of immunization at the community of Qatar and preventing mortality and morbidity from VPD, align with all WHO Strategies in addition to coordination and collaboration with different partners and stakeholders, working collectively to achieve Measle elimination target, also providing technical support for the team and training and preparing and conducting annual campaigns were part of her role and responsibilities.
During the COVID-19 era, she was the deputy of the National leading of the contact tracing of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, which was one of the major interventions in combating the pandemic in the country. She was able to provide leadership while supervising various units of the track and trace team as part of her role as deputy to the National lead of the COVID-19 track and trace team. She is always available to provide technical guidance to staff, supervision and monitoring swabbing activities, calling and dispatching teams, ensuring collecting of appropriate samples and reporting. Also, she actively participated in writing some of the guidelines used for the track and trace activities and developing reports for higher authority. Reporting the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine to the high -risk group and the community, close monitoring for AEFI, coordination with all partners to increase the accessibility and the coverage.
Dr. Khogali was part of the MOPH Team in the preparation for FIFA World Cup 2022, during the event she worked closely with the emergency department at the Public Health Emergency Operation Center “PHEOC “, in observing different activities, developing daily bulletin, and responding to any public health concern.
Dr. Laith Abu-Raddad, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine, Doha, Qatar
Laith J. Abu-Raddad (Ph.D.) is a Professor of Population Health Sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar. His academic career is distinguished by numerous high-impact studies published in journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Science, and The Lancet. His research spans a spectrum of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, hepatitis C virus, tuberculosis, and SARS.
Dr. Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari, PhD, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar
Al-Kuwari is a Senior Consultant in Preventive Medicine and Executive Director of Strategy Planning and Health Intelligence at the Primary Health Care Corporation. Academically, he is a Professor of Community Medicine at the College of Medicine at Qatar University and a Trainer in Family and Community Medicine residency programs. He is also the former program director of the community medicine residency program. Prof. Al-Kuwari has over 100 scientific papers published in Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Primary Healthcare.
Dr. Ivana Bozicevic, MD, WHO, University of Zagreb, WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Strategic Information Zagreb, Croatia
Ivana Božičević (MD, MSc, DrPH) is a Professor of Public Health at the University of Zagreb School of Medicine in Croatia and serves as a director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Strategic Information. She holds a DrPH from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her research interests are the epidemiology of HIV and STIs and the evaluation of interventions.
Associate Editors
Dr. Abid Muhammad Saeed, PhD, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
Dr. Abid Saeed (MBBS, MSPH, MSc FETP, DrPH) is working as a public health physician at Health protection & communicable disease control Department(HP-CDC)of MoPH Qatar currently .He is a public health expert with over 14 years of experience in epidemiology, communicable disease control, and health promotion. He recently completed his DrPh with major in Epidemiology at Mahidol University, Thailand. He has served in key roles within international organizations like WHO and the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar, focusing on disease surveillance, outbreak response, and public health strategy implementation. Dr. Saeed has contributed to significant public health efforts, including polio eradication, COVID-19 control, and combating vaccine-preventable diseases. His research and fieldwork span across Pakistan, Balochistan, and Qatar, with numerous publications on infectious diseases and public health systems.
Dr. Reshma Cheriyamaliyakkal Javed, MD, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
Dr. Reshma Cheriyamaliyakkal Javed (MBBS, MD) is a Public Health Physician at Health Protection & Communicable Disease Control Department, Ministry of Public Health, Qatar. She has served as Assistant Professor in Community Medicine, with clinical and administrative experience in primary healthcare. Her research interests include epidemiology and public health interventions.
Dr. Sayed Mohamed Himatt, PhD, Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), Amman, Jordan
Dr Sayed Himatt, a seasoned Public Health Professional, his expertise focusing on communicable disease cntrol, epidemic intelligence, IHR (2005), One Health, and mass gatherings, he is currently promoting the One Health approach in the Eastern Mediterrean Region.
Dr. Khalid Hamid Elawad, PhD, Primary Health Care Corporation, Qatar
Dr. Khalid Elawad is a Medical Doctor and Public Health Consultant. With over 21 years of international experience in the field of public health as Senior Public Health Advisor. Dr. Khalid is currently the Health Protection Manager at Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) in Doha, Qatar. Dr. Khalid’s role is key in the development and shaping of Qatar’s national healthcare strategy. Dr. Khalid is also heavily involved in various local committees, such as the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, the Infection Prevention and Control Committee, Public Health Committee, National Health Protection Committee. Dr. Khalid has also several public research studies in the field of Infection Control, as well as co-authoring multiple books focused on Health Promotion and Communicable Disease Prevention.
Dr. Hanan F. Abdul Rahim, PhD, Qatar University, Qatar
Dr. Hanan Abdul Rahim is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences and the Associate Director of the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University.
Before moving to Qatar in August 2008, Dr. Abdul-Rahim was at the Institute of Community and Public Health (ICPH), Birzeit University, Palestine, where she coordinated and taught courses in the Institute’s Diploma and Master in Public Health Programs.
Dr. Abdul Rahim’s research interests are at the intersection of social science and public health, with a special interest in the social determinants of health, noncommunicable diseases and the health and wellbeing of women. Her previous research has focused on reproductive health in the context of health systems building in developing countries, particularly in relation to women and to noncommunicable diseases.
Dr. Abdul Rahim has authored and co-authored a number of research and policy-oriented articles and reports. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Salem College, NC, USA (1992); a Master of Science in Biology from Illinois State University, IL,USA (1994) and earned her Ph.D. from the Faculty of Medicine (epidemiology), University of Oslo, Norway in 2003.
Dr. Iheb Bougmiza, PhD, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar
Dr. Mohamed Iheb Bougmiza is Consultant (PHCC), Associate Professor in Preventive and Community Medicine. Currently, he is Director of the Community Medicine Residency Program in Qatar. Dr. Bougmiza received his MD degree in 2003 from the college of Medicine, Sousse University, Tunisia. He has also completed a Master of Public Health at Bordeaux II University, France and other degrees in Health Quality and Risk Management at Paris Diderot University, France. He is passionate about Non-communicable diseases and lifestyle medicine. He is running a lifestyle clinic in primary care.
Dr. Bougmiza has a 17-year teaching experience to under and postgraduate medical students in Sousse
University (Sousse, Tunisia), Senghor University (Alexandria, Egypt), King Faisal University (Al Ahsa, KSA)
and Community Medicine Residency program (PHCC-HMC, Qatar)
Dr. Bougmiza has a large experience in quantitative research methods and has published 90 articles. Out of them 77 are indexed in PubMed. He is a peer reviewer for many medical journals and serves as reviewer in PHCC research committee (Qatar) and Medical Research Center (HMC, Qatar)
Dr. Ali S. Omrani, PhD, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
Dr. Ali Omrani is a senior consultant in infectious diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation and a clinical professor of infectious diseases at Qatar University. He completed his training in adult infectious diseases and medical microbiology at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal College of Pathologists, and a member of multiple societies. His research interests include the management of infections caused by extensively resistant pathogens, infections in immune-compromised hosts, and infections in critically ill patients.
Dr. Sami G. Al-Ghamdi, PhD, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
Dr. Sami G. Al-Ghamdi is an Associate Professor of Sustainable Built Environment & Climate Change Resilient Infrastructure at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology). He holds a PhD in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Pittsburgh (2015), an MSc in civil and construction engineering from Western Michigan University (2010), and a BSc in architecture and building science from King Saud University (2005). He is a LEED-accredited professional with a specialty in green building design and construction from the U.S. Green Building Council, and a building performance analyst professional by Autodesk.Dr. Al-Ghamdi is the founder and the leading faculty member of the Sustainable Built Environment (SBE) Research and Education Lab at KAUST. He conducts multidisciplinary research on the complexities of the built environment and trains the next generations of scientists capable of developing innovative solutions to mitigate climate change; optimize energy, water, and material consumption; and improve the quality of life. The main objectives of his research group are: 1) Reduce contribution to global climate change; 2) Enhance individual human health; 3) Promote local sustainable and regenerative material cycles; 4) Protect and restore water resources; 5) Build a domestic green economy through technology entrepreneurship; 6) Enhance community quality of life; and 7) Protect and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services. He was awarded more than $3 million (USD) in external funding for projects on resiliency, climate change, and others. He has published more than 70 refereed, Scopus-indexed papers. Dr. Al-Ghamdi and his students were the recipients of Qatar Sustainability Awards in 2017, 2018 and 2019 (research category) and the 2018 National Program for Conservation and Energy Efficiency Award on the Best Green Sustainable Initiative.
Dr. Marwa Farag, PhD, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Qatar
Dr. Marwa Farag is an Associate Professor at the School of Public Administration and Development Economics, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in Qatar. Prior to joining the Doha Institute, she held the position of Associate Professor at the School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Previously, she worked as a Senior Research Associate at the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy, Global Institute for Health and Development at Brandeis University. Dr. Farag's international field experience includes working in Iraq on health financing and resource allocation issues and in health sector reform in Egypt. Dr. Farag's primary research areas are health policy, health financing, health economics, and health program planning and evaluation. Dr. Farag is interested in examining inequities in healthcare utilization and health outcomes.
Dr. Farag has an M.Sc. in Health Policy, Planning and Financing (Health Economics) from the London School of Economics and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, UK. She has a second MSc. in International Health Policy and Management, and a PhD in Health Policy from the Heller School For Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, USA. Dr. Farag was also a research fellow at the Kennedy School of Government (KSG), Harvard University, the USA for two years.
Dr. Ahmed El Idrissi Hamzi, PhD, Independent consultant, Morocco
Dr Elidrissi is a zoonotic diseases and One Health regional expert with history of working at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Dr Elidrissi supported the development of Qatar’s One Health Framework and 5-year strategic action plans. He has also completed consultancy mission in Qatar for the WHO Joint External Investigations on Zoonotic Diseases.
Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Sallam, M.D., Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
Dr. Mohamed Sallam is a committed public health professional working in the Surveillance and Outbreak Section at Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health. With a background in medicine and advanced training in epidemiology, tropical medicine, and surveillance, he has contributed to various health initiatives, including disease prevention and outbreak management.
Dr. Sallam has supported critical projects such as the implementation of the Surveillance And Vaccine Electronic System (SAVES) and played a role in Qatar’s COVID-19 response. He was also involved in public health surveillance for the Arab World Cup 2021 and FIFA World Cup 2022, where he led the team of the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system to enhance disease monitoring.
In addition to his technical work, Dr. Sallam has contributed to STI guidelines and he actively mentors students and healthcare professionals. His work focuses on improving public health through education, collaboration, and sustainable disease prevention efforts.
Dr. Khalid Elmardi Abdelgadir, MD, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
Dr. Khalid Elmardi is a consultant specialist in public health with a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, MD degree, from Sudan Medical Specialization Board, PhD degree from Maastricht University and a Fellowship from the Faculty of Public Health-UK. He has over 20 years’ experience in the field of epidemiology, communicable disease, neglected tropical diseases, vector control, non-communicable diseases, vaccination programme, health information system, health system strengthening and health policy. He successfully led the design and implementation of many health projects funded by leading global agencies like the GFATM, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank.
Dr. Khalid has an academic experience in teaching public health in health institutes for under- and postgraduate studies. He also has good experience in quantitative and qualitative research design and conduct. Most of his research work is published in peer reviewed journals. He is further serving as a reviewer for many indexed journals.
Currently, Dr. Khalid is working for the Health Protection and Communicable Diseases Control Department at the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar.
Dr. Sandeep Meharwal, FHI 360, North Carolina, USA
Dr. Sandeep Meharwal is a public health professional with 2 decades of experience in diagnostics, medical microbiology, research, teaching, and training. Dr. Meharwal has extensive experience in implementing newer diagnostic technologies in the field, providing leadership and technical support to build sustainable laboratory capacity in resource-limited countries. In his years of experience, Dr. Meharwal worked with several countries in Asia and Africa to strengthen laboratory approaches and share best practices. He has published many publications in journals, books, and articles for international meetings/conferences. He also serves as a member of the WHO expert group on TB diagnostics.
He is a trained microbiologist and currently, serving as Program Director for the Infectious Diseases Department, Global Health Population division of FHI 360 and project Director of a CDC-funded Enhancing Global Health Security (EGHS) project.
Dr. Praveen K Bharti, PhD, National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
Dr. Praveen K. Bharti is a Scientist F at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in New Delhi. With a strong academic background and extensive research experience, Dr. Bharti has made significant contributions to the fields of infectious diseases and epidemiology particularly in the Malaria control and elimination.
Dr. Bharti completed his Ph.D. in Biotechnology, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of Plasmodium parasite resistance to antimalarial and host-pathogen interactions. His research interests include vector-borne diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics. Over the years, he has published 150 research articles in reputable scientific journals and has been involved in various national and international collaborations.
In addition to his research work, Dr. Bharti is committed to mentoring young scientists (Supervised 10 PhD) and contributing to capacity building in public health research. His expertise and leadership have positioned him as a key figure in advancing the understanding and management of vector borne infectious diseases in India. Through his work at ICMR-NIMR, Dr. Bharti continues to address pressing health challenges and contribute to the enhancement of public health policies.
Dr. Deepesh Khanna, Nova Southeastern University, Florida, USA
Dr. Deepesh Khanna is an esteemed Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University, specializing in foundational sciences within the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine. With an academic and professional journey rooted in multidisciplinary expertise, Dr. Khanna's work spans kinesiology, public health, and medicine. His educational credentials include a PhD in Kinesiology from Texas A&M University, an MPH with a concentration in Environmental Health and Epidemiology, an MD from Awadesh Pratap Singh University, and an MBA in Finance from Lincoln Memorial University. His doctoral research focused on the impacts of diet and exercise-induced weight loss on inflammatory markers in sedentary obese women, demonstrating his commitment to advancing knowledge in exercise physiology and health outcomes.
Dr. Khanna has held faculty roles at institutions such as Arkansas Tech University and Lincoln Memorial University before joining Nova Southeastern University in 2019. His contributions are recognized both inside and outside academia, with distinctions like the Outstanding Alumni Award from Texas A&M University and multiple accolades from Nova Southeastern for excellence in scholarship and academic service.
His research interests focus heavily on public health challenges, evidenced by his extensive publication record. Dr. Khanna has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, examining critical health issues ranging from the neurological effects of COVID-19 to metabolic complications linked to obesity. He is a sought-after contributor and presenter, having shared his insights at prominent conferences, including the American Public Health Association Conference and the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
In addition to his research, Dr. Khanna's role as an educator and mentor reflects his dedication to fostering future leaders in healthcare. He is also certified by the National Board of Public Health and maintains professional affiliations with the American Public Health Association and the Society for Public Health Education. Dr. Khanna’s multidisciplinary background and commitment to advancing public health knowledge position him as an influential figure in his field.
MOPH Team - Journal Support
- Hamad Pattalaparambil, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar. Email address: [email protected]
- Naeema Saeed A Al-Sulaiman, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar. Email address: [email protected]
Journals Publisher
Dr. Salah B. Ajjur
Head of Academic & Journals Publishing
Email: [email protected]
Natacha S. Fares
Production & Digital Specialist
Email: [email protected]