We are a passionate team of medical professionals, researchers, and volunteers advocating for health equity
Ruhul Abid, MD, PhD
President and founder
Dr. Ruhul Abid is an Associate Professor at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Principal Investigator (PI) at Rhode Island Hospital, and an Executive Faculty Member of Brown Global Health Initiative. He received his MD from Dhaka Medical School in Bangladesh and his PhD in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Nagoya University in Japan, and he completed his Fellowship at Harvard Medical School in 2001.
Throughout his career as a physician scientist in cardiovascular and non-communicable diseases, Dr. Abid has spearheaded numerous community health projects in Bangladesh. He has implemented a program providing volunteer-based health care for garment factory workers in Bangladesh since 2013 and for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar since 2017. These projects have provided free treatment and medicines as well as training in health education, nutrition, and personal and feminine hygiene.
In collaboration with Brown University Global Health Initiative as well as the software development company Aprosoft, Dr. Abid designed and developed a portable and individualized Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system for HAEFA named NIROG, for the Bangla word meaning “good health.” This encrypted software is used to record medical data of RMG factory workers and Rohingya refugees, and the EMR tablets use fingerprint identification for additional efficiency. The HIPAA-compliant solar-powered EMR is capable of functioning anywhere in the world and without Internet.
Dr. Abid served as the PI of a DFID/Crown Agent-funded Brown University grant aimed at disease burden analysis of 5,776 RMG workers in 2016. In 2018, he was awarded the Stars in Global Health fund by Grand Challenges Canada to test and treat 10,000 RMG workers for NCDs and most notably to introduce a “See and Treat” cervical cancer screening program in Bangladesh. This Thermocoagulator-based “See and Treat” method has used technology from MobileODT to identity cervical cancer and provide accurate treatments in a single visit. Currently, HAEFA is in discussion with the BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) to help develop in-house health screening and health care system empowered by NIROG in 100 RMG factories, and to develop an effective follow-up and referral system within the BGMEA healthcare system supported by HAEFA’s medical and IT teams.
Since October 2019, Dr. Abid and Dr. Susan Cu-Uvin, Director of Brown University Global Health Initiative, have been leading a two-year DFID/UNFPA-funded “See and Treat” cervical cancer screening program in the northern Bangladesh district of Kurigram.
In the Rohingya camps, Dr. Abid and HAEFA have been leading the efforts to develop a more inter-connected NCD-based health care delivery system using NIROG EMR. HAEFA works in the FDMN camps in collaboration with the Coordination Cell, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), RRRC, WHO, and other UN and national organizations.
E. Jane Carter, MD
Senior Vice President and Director
E. Jane Carter is a pulmonary physician at the Miriam Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine (Teaching Scholar) at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Throughout her career, Dr. Carter has focused her work on Tuberculosis. In Rhode Island, she worked with the TB Clinic sponsored by the RI Department of Health for over 22 years. She is the immediate past president of the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease, whose mission is the development of Health Solutions for the Poor. She is the Director of the Brown University – Moi University Kenya Medical Exchange Program (AMPATH Consortium). In recognition of her global health work, she was awarded the World Lung Health Award from the American Thoracic Society in 2013. Dr. Carter has been working in the Rohingya camps and leading HAEFA’s TB programs since 2017.
Rosemary B. Duda, MD, MPH
VIce President and founder
Dr. Duda received her medical degree from the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (MD) and her Masters of Public Health degree from Harvard School of Public Health (MPH). She is currently an Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and is a faculty member at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston. She is an active participant in many global health initiatives at Harvard and BIDMC.
Dr. Duda has extensive global health experience in several capacities. She has conducted population based epidemiologic health and anthropologic studies in Ghana, health education studies in Nicaragua, and helped develop breast health and cancer awareness programs in several countries. She has served as a medical and surgical volunteer in Bangladesh, Ghana, Nicaragua, Haiti, and St. Lucia, WI and was a member of the USA emergency surgical team for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. She also served as an instructor for the Surgical Oncology Program in Taiwan.
In 2014-2015, she served as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer as the Public Health Advisor to the Chief of Public Health and Chief of Medicine in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. She has extensive experience in Public Health program development, immunization and child health programs, disaster relief work, writing and implementing disaster preparedness plans, and serving on the Yap State Working Group Logistics and Planning committee. She was also invited to serve as a member of the Yap Human Trafficking Committee. She also conducted the health surveillance for Yap State Public Health following the typhoon destruction of several Yap islands in 2015.
She is an educator, investigator, relief and rescue provider and healthcare provider. Her clinical interests include public health, cancer and surgical oncology.
Dr. Duda serves as the Vice-President of HAEFA. As our Global Health Advisor, Dr. Duda helps design and analyze health education, health screening and health care delivery programs.
Soumitro Pal, PhD
Director
Dr, Pal received his PhD in Physiology from University of Calcutta, India. He did his post-doctoral research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston. Currently, he is working as a faculty at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital. He is an expert in renal/kidney cancer research. His primary area of interest includes dissecting the signal transduction pathways for the growth and progression of renal cancer. His work has demonstrated how the angiogenic growth factors (like, VEGF) and the cytoprotective molecules (like, HO-1) can play a critical role in the survival of renal cancer cells and mediating chemoresistance. His work has significant translational importance for drug development. He serves as reviewers in many scientific journals and study sections. He is also associated with different non-profit organizations and charitable work in Boston.
As Director, Dr. Pal takes an active role in event planning, fund raising, organizing and implementing events.
Khan Mohiuddin
Secretary
Mr. Khan Mohiuddin received his B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Bangladesh Institute of Technology, Chittagong. He is involved in humanitarian and charitable work in Boston and Bangladesh. He is a well-respected member of the Boston community.
Mr. Mohiuddin serves as Secretary, keeping and maintaining meeting and event minutes and other administrative documents.
Svein Gaute Bleivik
Technical Advisor
Svein-Gaute Bleivik has 50 years of experience from the national and international telecom business. Being a pioneer from Telenor’s international mobile operations with senior technical positions held in GrameenPhone (Bangladesh), DiGi Telecom (Malaysia), Esat Digifone (Ireland), ViagInterkom GmbH (Germany), and as senior technical advisor in Telenor Global Coordination (mobile operations).
Since leaving Telenor Group he has engaged in Asset Recovery, Renewable Energy, MW&Fiber Network Planning tools, Secure Communication, Internet AccessControl, WiFi Tech and Services, whilst engaging in several start-ups for consulting and support. He holds a broad network of international contacts primarily within Telecoms and other global business. He is still eager to participate and initiate improved solutions for communication technology&services, clean energy, global environment and human health.
Indranil Dutta
IT and programming advisor
Indranil Dutta, a Microsoft Certified Master in Unified Communications, working as the Principal PFE, Business Productivity and North America SFB Technology Manager at Mircrosoft, supports the IT Team including digital database of Health and Education for All (HAEFA) since 2015. He also works as an advisor for HAEFA's software development programs and data analysis. Indranil is actively involved in HAEFA's fund raising programs that support on-site workplace health clinics (Health on Wheels) for the underserved populations in Bangladesh including garment workers and rickshaw pullers.
Imam Khalid Nasr, PhD
Advisor on Global Refugee and Relief Efforts
Dr. Khalid Nasr is an Imam at the Islamic Center of New England (ICNE) in Quincy, MA. Dr. Nasr received his PhD in Islamic Jurisprudence in 2010 from Cairo University. Prior to that, he received his ScM in Quranic Qira’at in 2005 from Cairo University, and his ScB in Arabic Language and Islamic Sciences in 1995 from Cairo University. Dr. Nasr received a high certificate in Quranic Sciences from renowned Islamic institution Al-Azar Al-Shareef in 1994. In addition to his work at the ICNE, Imam Dr. Nasr is Vice President of the Quran Reciter’s Union. Dr. Nasr has visited the Rohingya refugee camps with HAEFA and has been an Advisor on HAEFA’s Global Refugee and Relief Efforts since March 2019.
Tasneem Ahmed, Esq
Washington DC HAEFA Representative
Tasneem Ahmed, Esquire is an Attorney-at-Law engaged in private practice in the USA. She has also served as a Guardian ad Litem for children at risk in the Virginia court systems. Ms. Ahmed, a graduate of the American University Washington College of Law, is also admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. For the last decade and half she has also been engaged in activism in the Washington DC area in an effort to improve society through social and political reform by canvassing, recruiting, training, fundraising and by being a watchdog. Ms. Ahmed serves as the Washington DC area representative of HAEFA.
Mir Hushna
Grants and finance director
Mir Hushna has a background in business administration and accounting. He has worked with CARE International in Eastern Europe and USDA in Dakar, Senegal. His auditing work has led him to travel all over the world, including to South Africa and Switzerland. With HAEFA, he manages the financial side of the organization by preparing bank reconciliation documents for auditing.
