Shaikh Zuha Jabeen, a 23-year-old final year undergraduate medical student, first stepped into a tuberculosis (TB) ward during her second year of medical school. While many of her peers avoided the rotation due to stigma, she embraced the experience. This decision ignited her passion for pulmonary medicine and set her on a path of research and advocacy.
Zuha’s early study on drug-resistant TB treatment was selected for presentation at the Union World Conference on Lung Health 2024 in Bali, Indonesia. As a student member of The Union, Zuha stays connected with a global network of TB researchers and practitioners, accessing the most up-to-date knowledge and contributing to international discussions on TB care. At the conference, she presented her research and engaged with world-leading TB care experts. This experience shifted her perspective from local clinical practice to the global fight against TB.
“Presenting at the conference changed my perspective of seeing the issue of TB. I became more oriented to my research and came up with the idea of Forenoon Rays Foundation. I have been selected as TBScience research e-poster presenter for this year's Union World Conference too.”
Motivated by the momentum from the conference, Zuha joined the World Health Organization Youth2EndTB Forum and in 2025 founded Forenoon Rays Foundation (FRF), a youth-driven organisation dedicated to advancing pulmonary health. In just two months, FRF grew into a network of over 300 medical students, physicians and researchers under the age of 35. The foundation works to raise awareness, break stigma and strengthen early detection of TB through school outreach, community engagement and research mentoring.
Through FRF, Zuha leads regular TB awareness and screening camps in schools and communities. These sessions combine education and hands-on screening, teaching pupils about TB symptoms and prevention, while breaking stigma through survivor stories. Volunteers from the foundation, trained under her guidance, conduct pre- and post-camp surveys to measure impact and ensure that people with suspected TB are referred to healthcare services. By integrating education and early detection, FRF’s camps aim to create lasting awareness and promote timely treatment.
Built on the understanding that youthful energy and professional mentorship can drive change, Zuha and her team are committed to reaching underserved communities and inspiring the next generation of clinicians and researchers.
As a soon-to-be graduate, Zuha has balanced her academic commitments with her role as chairperson of FRF. She describes this journey as both challenging and rewarding: “Things have progressed really fast with FRF. I didn't hope for this response. We are working on a single AI-based real-time surveillance tool for all centrally notifiable diseases in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Our team now has members from all over the world, with core team members from Kenya, Bangladesh, India and Nigeria.”
FRF has made significant progress through the continuation of its Luminous Hearts initiative, expanding TB awareness school camps, leading global studies, and driving active case finding with a stronger focus on tribal and rural communities. Additionally, in collaboration with Youth2EndTB global movement founder Madhusudan Kaphle, FRF is now working to implement the WHO 1plus1 youth initiative.
Zuha’s journey shows the access and opportunities Union membership can unlock for the next generation of public health leaders.
To become a member of The Union, contact membership@theunion.org or register here.