At The Union World Conference on Lung Health 2024, Dr Razia Kaniz Fatima received The Union’s highest honour – the Union Medal – alongside Prof Jane Carter. The prestigious award recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution to lung health by their leadership, scientific research, and advocacy.
Razia is a medical doctor, public health specialist and epidemiologist, who has significantly contributed to tuberculosis (TB) control in Pakistan. Razia has led key national surveillance efforts, developed TB strategic plans and enhanced TB research and interventions. Her work in training future researchers, mentoring students and leading international TB advocacy has strengthened fight against TB in Pakistan and globally.
In January, Razia established the Health Solutions international in Pakistan, which aims to combat socioeconomic suffering by tackling issues relating to health (including communicable and non-communicable diseases, emerging new diseases and health system strengthening), education and the environment. Razia is also the current Chair of the Ethics Advisory Group and former Chair of the TB Section at The Union.
As part of our celebration of International Women’s Day, we learn more about Razia, her achievements and passion to make a difference – in her own words.
Tell us about your TB research journey, how it started and some of the highlights so far
“I started my career in 2002, in a remote basic health unit where I was surprised by the huge number of people I saw coming from the nearby slum with TB symptoms. That was the time when my interest in investigating TB began.
“In 2008, following my Masters in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, I joined the National TB Programme and contributed to evidence generation for TB in Pakistan. This enabled me to start my operational research training, through the Structured Operational Research Training Initiative (SORT IT) with Dr Tony Harries and the late Prof Don Enarson as my mentors. This training paved the way for my PhD in Tuberculosis from University of Bergen, Norway where I was supervised by Sven Gudmund Hinderaker.
“After that I became more vocal about the need for more TB research in Pakistan, and with the support of WHO TDR and the Global Fund I was able to launch an operational research course in 2016. Through the course I trained more than 50 researchers – around 40% of those trained were female. This was particularly important to me, as I know difficult it can be for female researchers to be accepted.
“Pakistan is a huge country with more than 240 million population, so there was a need to replace the existing paper-based system with a digital solution. In 2017, I launched an online data collection system with the support of The Global Fund that helps track everyone with TB across the whole cascade of care. It also allows to deep dive into the data and see the epidemiological trends in the country.”
What does it mean to you to receive the Union Medal?
“Receiving the Union Medal is like a lifetime achievement for me. During my 22-year career in TB I have many exciting moments, from serving my country to advocating for TB research at an international level, and this award feels like the highest recognition of all my work.
“The memories of the event will be long lasting for rest of my life. It is a moment my son talks proudly of, and I feel so much pride to have received this prestigious recognition.
“It has given me even more energy and motivation to work for TB in Pakistan and around the world. I will continue to advocate for TB research and clinical trials in Pakistan to bring innovative solutions that will strengthen our TB response.”
What role has The Union played in your fantastic career?
“I have a great affiliation with The Union as it has played a key role in my endeavours for TB control globally.
“The Union Conference is vital for knowledge sharing, as it showcases the latest innovations in drugs, strategies and guidelines. it also provides young researchers with a platform to present their work, which helps them become part of the TB community.”
What advice would you give to those young people just starting out in lung health?
“TB needs new researchers, advocates and partners. We welcome everyone who is willing to contribute in any way.
“Those who want to work in TB and lung health need to have a high level of passion and motivation. Do not be afraid of challenges; they are always in the package of success. You must be strong to overcome all hurdles to win at the end.
“It important to disseminate your work through every available channel, so that as many people as possible see how you started and what you have accomplished. That way the chain of people who work in TB and lung health continues.”