Dr. Rana Muhammad Safdar is currently the Lead Strategic Advisor of IG providing strategic guidance to the collaborative projects of Integral Global and US Centers for Disease Control in Pakistan. Dr Rana is a medical doctor, Public Health specialist and a Field Epidemiologist with highly specialized training in Emerging Infectious Disease Epidemiology from the University of Iowa as well as the Health Metrics & Evaluation from University of Washington, USA.
During his diverse professional career, Dr. Rana has been actively engaged in public health operations at different levels, ranging from serving as a Medical Officer in a rural Basic Health Unit to the top national assignment of Director General Health – Pakistan. During that time, he has also served multiple national priority health programs in the country including Expanded Programme on Immunization, Polio Eradication, Prevention & Control of Viral Hepatitis as well as HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria besides working in International Organizations such as UNAIDS & US CDC – FELTP.
Dr. Rana conceptualized and operationalized several novel initiatives in Pakistan including the establishment of Field Epidemiology & Disease Surveillance Division at NIH Pakistan, National Stop Transmission of Polio (NSTOP) program and setting up a national network of Emergency Operations Centers to tackle Polio Eradication and other health emergencies in the country. More recently, he led the development and implementation of the country’s successful COVID-19 surveillance and response system earning global acknowledgment and appreciation. Moreover, as an independent expert, he is also on the IHR Roster of Experts and a notified member of the WHO’s Strategic & Technical Advisory Group on Infectious Hazards of Pandemic Potential (STAG-IH). His contributions to global health have also earned him fellowship from the Faculty of Public Health (FFPH) UK.