Bangladesh Medical University organised an interactive session with Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed, World Health Organisation鈥檚 representative to Bangladesh, and BMU鈥檚 master of public health students at the BMU Milton Hall in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The session titled Engaging Future Public Health Leaders: WHO鈥揃MU鈥檚 MPH Student Interactive Dialogue focused on strengthening future public health leadership and identifying new avenues for collaboration between the BMU and the WHO, said a press release.
Organised by the BMU鈥檚 department of public health and informatics, the programme began with a welcome speech by Professor Dr Md Shahinul Alam, vice-chancellor, BMU, who highlighted the ongoing contributions of BMU鈥檚 public health researchers to advancing the university鈥檚 academic and community health endeavours.
He also provided a strategic vision for the future, emphasising how BMU鈥檚 MPH students and public health professionals could emerge as leaders at national and international-levels through evidence-based practice, research and policy engagement.
In his keynote address, Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed shared the historical evolution of the WHO, outlining its mission and mechanisms of action at both global and national levels.
He emphasised, 鈥楶ublic health is a multi-sectorial discipline, engaging with diverse ministries and sectors to design, plan and guide policies for public wellbeing, while political leaders execute those policies.鈥�
Dr Jamsheed encouraged students to go beyond classroom learning and actively engage with communities, understand local challenges and contribute to real-world health solutions.
He also elaborated on WHO鈥檚 ongoing initiatives in Bangladesh and highlighted opportunities for students to collaborate through internships, academic exchanges, and applied field research in partnership with WHO and BMU.
The interactive discussion, moderated by Dr Farzana Islam and Dr Md Shahidul Haque of the department of public health and informatics, allowed students to share ideas and explore how their studies could align with national and global health priorities.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Professor Dr Md Atiqul Haque, dean of preventive and social medicine and chairperson of the department of public health and informatics, BMU.
The session was also graced by Professor M Mostafa Zaman, executive editor of the BSMMU Journal, and Dr Murad Sultan, national professional officer for patient safety and blood safety, alongside faculty members of the department of public health and informatics and participating MPH students.
