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Our research is addressing some of the world’s most pressing health challenges.
We aim to ensure that our evidence and experience is widely shared.
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My journey in public health happened by chance. During my medical college days, gynecology was a subject that I enjoyed very much. However, after my son was born, I decided to become a pediatrician, so that I would know how to best take care of my son’s health and sick children. After completing my post-graduation training in pediatrics, I joined icddr,b as a Clinical Fellow in 2004, and worked in the Dhaka hospital of icddr,b treating patients. I got my first motivation in public health research in this hospital when I saw my seniors engaging in clinical research. Soon after the completion of my fellowship I got an opportunity to work in a research project on pneumococcal disease as a Medical Officer under the Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), which facilitated my participation in both clinical medicine and public health research. After completing my Master’s degree in public health from Uppsala University, Sweden, I came back to icddr,b and decided to focus exclusively on research. As a medical epidemiologist, I have been involved in research on infectious diseases in Bangladesh. The first research project I led was on antibiotic dispensing by the drug sellers in pharmacies for patients with acute respiratory illness. I tried to explore if there was any irrational use of antibiotics. From there onwards, I did not look back and thankfully was able to be a part of 21 research projects with me leading 18 of those as Principal Investigator. I have conducted multiple epidemiological studies which includes hospital and community-based surveillance, clinical trial, cohort, case-control, cross-sectional and health economics studies. Currently, I am leading the Respiratory Viruses Research Group and the Infection Control and AMR Research Group of Programme for Emerging Infections (PEI) under IDD. Along with leading multiple research projects on influenza and other respiratory pathogens including fungus to identify the disease burden, and exploring transmission dynamics and risk factors with prevention strategies, I am also leading projects on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which is an emerging global threat.
Why I work at icddr,b:
At icddr,b there is a scope to be involved in many different types of research, as it is a premiere research institution. I have been working at icddr,b since 2004 and I have always felt that the mentoring here is priceless. The work environment and opportunities I have received have also allowed my career at icddr,b to progress. I very much enjoy my work.
Future Plans:
I want to continue working on influenza to share data in global platforms and generate evidence for advocacy to the government and policy makers so that they will consider implementing influenza vaccination among the high risk groups in Bangladesh. I would also continue my work on AMR with the ultimate goal of mitigating AMR with rational use of antibiotics by physicians and drug sellers in Bangladesh.Â
2019 - till date
Associate Scientist and Project Coordinator, PEI, IDD, icddr,b
2017 - 2018
Deputy Project Coordinator, PEI, IDD, icddr,b
2013 - 2017
Assistant Scientist, PEI, IDD, icddr,b
2011 - 2012
Research Investigator, Respiratory Viruses Research Group, CCD, icddr,b
2011
Research Investigator, Child development, CNFS
2009 - 2011
Senior Clinical Fellow, Dhaka Hospital, icddr,b
2007 - 2009
Masters in International Health, Uppsala University, Sweden
2006 - 2007
Medical Officer, Health System and Infectious Diseases, icddr,b
2004 - 2006
Clinical Fellow, Dhaka Hospital, icddr,b
2002 - 2004
Medical Officer, Pediatrics (Ad-did Hospital)
1999
Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) Bangladesh Medical College, University of Dhaka
I am a medical epidemiologist and have been involved in research on infectious diseases in Bangladesh since 2006. My research work focuses on combating AMR along with respiratory pathogens such as influenza, RSV, and pneumococcus.
2018
Selected as an observer for European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm, Sweden by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)
2013 - 2014
Member of isirv (International Society of Influenza and other Respiratory Virus Diseases)
2013
Received International Scholar Award for outstanding research in the field of Influenza at ‘Options Ë… for the Control of Influenza Conference’.
1989
Dhaka Board Merit Scholarship for college education for two years.
Islam, M.A.; Akhtar, Z.; Hassan, M.Z.; Chowdhury, S.; Rashid, M.M.; Aleem, M.A.; Ghosh, P.K.; Mah-E-Muneer, S.; Parveen, S.; Ahmmed, M.K.; Fahmida Chowdhury.Pattern of Antibiotic Dispensing at Pharmacies According to the WHO Access, Watch, Reserve (AWaRe) Classification in Bangladesh. Antibiotics February, 2022; 11, 247.
Ackhter M.M, Shahid ASMSB, Ahmed T, Palit P, Parvin I, Islam M.Z, Chowdhury F. Characteristics of severely malnourished under-five children immunized with Bacillus Calmette-Gue´rin following Expanded Programme on Immunization schedule and their outcomes during hospitalization at an urban diarrheal treatment centre, Bangladesh. PLoS ONE Jan 2022.
Das P, Akhtar Z, Mah-E- Muneer S, Islam MA, Rahman MZ, Rahman M, Rahman M, Rahman M, Billah MM, Alamgir ASM, Flora MS, Shirin T, Banu S, Chowdhury F. Establishing a sentinel surveillance system for the novel COVID-19 in a resource-limited country: methods, system attributes and early findings. BMJ Open December, 2021.
Akhtar Z, Islam MA, Aleem MA, Mah-E- Muneer S, Ahmmed MK, Ghosh PK, Rahman M, Rahman MZ, Sumiya MK, Rahman M, Shirin T, Alamgir A S M, Banu S, Rahman M, Chowdhury F. SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus coinfection among patients with severe acute respiratory infection during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: a hospital-based descriptive study. BMJ Open December, 2021.
Akhtar, Z.; Mah-E-Muneer, S.; Rashid, M.M.; Ahmed, M.S.; Islam, M.A.; Chowdhury,S.; Khan, Z.; Hassan, M.Z.; Islam, K.; Parveen, S.; Debnath N.; Rahman M. and Chowdhury F. Antibiotics Use and Its Knowledge in the Community: A Mobile Phone Survey during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh. Antibiotics; August, 2021, 10,1052.
Chowdhury, S.; Ghosh, S.; Aleem, M.A.; Parveen, S.; Islam, M.A.; Rashid, M.M.; Akhtar, Z.; Chowdhury, F. Antibiotic Usage and Resistance in Food Animal Production: What Have We Learned from Bangladesh? Antibiotics; August 2021, 10, 1032.
Mah-E-Muneer, S.; Hassan, M.Z.; Biswas, M.A.A.J.; Rahman, F.; Akhtar, Z.; Das, P.; Islam, M.A.; Chowdhury, F. Use of Antimicrobials among Suspected COVID-19 Patients at Selected Hospitals, Bangladesh: Findings from the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic. Antibiotics; 18 June, 2021;10, 738.
Fahmida Chowdhury, ASM Shahid, Mosharrat Tabassum, Irin Parvin, Probir Kumar Ghosh, Mohammod Jobayer Chisti et al. Vitamin D Supplementation among Bangladeshi Children Under-five Years of Age Hospitalised for Severe Pneumonia: A Randomised Placebo Controlled Trial. February 2021; PLOS ONE.
Saif Al Amin, Md. Zakiul Hassan, KM Saif-Ur-Rahman, MAB Chowdhury, Sharon D.Morrison, Sara B. Donevant, Fahmida Chowdhury. Pattern of antibiotic use for AcuteRespiratory Infections (ARI) among outpatients in South Asian Region: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine. 2021 Jan 29;100(4): e22398.
Probir Kumar Ghosh, Pritimoy Das, Doli Rani Goswam, Ausraful Islam, Sukanta Chowdhury, Mohammad Manir Mollah, Golam Dostogir Harun, Zubair Akhtar, Fahmida Chowdhury. Maternal determinants mediating the impact of household poverty on the nutritional status of children under-five years of age in Bangladesh. Jun 1 2021. Food and Nutrition Bulletin.
Fahmida Chowdhury, Katharine Sturm-Ramirez, Abdullah Al Mamun, A. Danielle Iuliano, Mohammod Jobayer Chisti, Makhdum Ahmed, et al. Effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve antibiotic dispensing practices for acute respiratory illness among drug sellers in pharmacies, a pilot study in Bangladesh. BMC Health Services Research. 2018 August 31; 18(1):676
Fahmida Chowdhury, Probir Kumar Ghosh, K. M. Shahunja, Abu S. M. S. B. Shahid, Lubaba Shahrin, Monira Sarmin, et al. Hyperkalemia was an independent risk factor for death while under mechanical ventilation among children hospitalized with diarrhea in Bangladesh. Global Pediatric Health. 2018 January 24; Volume 4: 1–
