Dr Md Saiful Islam
PhD in Public Health, UNSW, Australia
Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Quantitative Methods, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Master of Social Science in Sociology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Bachelor of Social Science in Sociology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Dr. Md Saiful Islam is a social epidemiologist and lecturer at the School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales. His research and teaching center on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, surveillance including wastewater and environmental surveillance, One Health, Zoonotic Diseases, and outbreak investigation, as well as infection prevention and control, including antimicrobial resistance and immunization. I examine broader social, behavioural, and infrastructural factors that contribute to disease emergence, spread and prevention, including vaccination.
Saiful earned a PhD in public health from UNSW, focusing on infection prevention and control in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). He completed post-doctoral training in emerging infectious diseases, with a specific focus on COVID-19 contact tracing and quarantine policies, and their implementation in LMICs. Saiful has worked in dynamic and complex environments in Australia and globally, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Pacific Island countries, Mali, and Mozambique.
His research on emerging infectious diseases emphasizes the One Health approach and integrates social science intelligence in epidemic preparedness, response, and recovery. This includes research on the social and behavioral drivers of emerging pathogen spillover from animals to humans, understanding transmission pathways of Nipah virus, anthrax, and avian influenza. Currently, this work is being undertaken in Australia and Bangladesh.
Saiful's research on infection prevention and control focuses on healthcare-associated infection surveillance, prevalence, and incidence of latent TB among healthcare workers, and the examination of airborne infection control policies and their implementation in LMICs. His research on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship explores perceptions of antibiotic stewardship programs, determinants of antibiotic prescribing patterns among physicians in Bangladesh, and the design and implementation of context-appropriate interventions to enhance the rational use of antibiotics. Additionally, he engages patients and family caregivers in IPC activities in health settings.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
- 2023-2024: Exploring factors affecting vaccine uptake and acceptance among zero-dose children, Sabin Vaccine Institute (Washington D.C., District of Columbia, US). URL:
- 30/06/2018-28/02/2021: Making the invisible visible: saving brains via lead-free districts in Bangladesh, Grand Challenges Canada, Bold Ideas with Big Impact. URL:https://www.grandchallenges.ca/grantee-stars/1810-20755/
Key Research Activities and Collaborations
Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) and Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Strengthening the function of Infection Prevention & Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship committees in tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh
- Piloting Health Care Associated Infections (HAI) surveillance in selected tertiary care hospitals of Bangladesh
- Surveillance and outbreak investigations for emerging infectious diseases
- Piloting infection control interventions for severe infections spread by the respiratory route
Antibiotic Use and Resistance
- Antibiotic Use and Surgical Sites Infections among C-Section and Abdominal Surgery Patients in Low-Resource Healthcare Settings: An observational study
- Use of antibiotics in commercial cattle, poultry, and fisheries in Bangladesh
- among family caregivers (FCGs) in some selected district hospitals in Bangladesh
Vaccination and Public Health
- Exploring the burden and factors affecting vaccine uptake and acceptance amongst zero-dose children and women using the WHO behavioral and social drivers (BeSD) framework in Bangladesh
- Making the invisible visible: saving brains via lead-free districts in Bangladesh
Pandemic preparedness and response
- COVID-19–Related Infodemic and Its Impact on Public Health
- COVID-19 vaccine rumors and conspiracy theories and its impact
- Rapid formative assessment for new and routine vaccines and COVID-19 vaccine introduction – caregiver survey and providers survey in seven Pacific Island countries
- COVID-19 contact tracing and quarantine policies in the Indo-Pacific Region
- Assessing the burden of laboratory-confirmed influenza
Zoonotic and Emerging Pathogens
- Social and Behavioral Drivers of Emerging Pathogens Spillover from Animals to Human
- Bangladesh-Myanmar Cross Border Surveillance for Zoonotic Diseases
- Investigations of anthrax outbreaks and risk factors for anthrax in humans and domestic animals in Bangladesh
- Poultry rearing practices and the risk of Avian Influenza transmission in humans
- Reducing the risk of Nipah virus transmission from patients to caregivers
- Nipah virus transmission from date palm saps and traditional liquor
Tuberculosis
- Reducing Tuberculosis infection among healthcare workers in tertiary care teaching hospitals through rapid identification and cohorts of suspected tuberculosis cases
- Tuberculosis infection control practices and the risk of latent tuberculosis infection among healthcare workers in Bangladeshi hospitals
Child Health and Mortality
- Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS)-Ongoing
- Piloting postmortem specimen collection for diagnosing the cause of death in a Bangladeshi Medical College Hospital
My Research Supervision
Md Ariful Islam-Post-discharge mortality among patients hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in Bangladesh
Philippa McDermid-Enhancing patient and visitor hand hygiene to reduce healthcare-associated infections
My Teaching
Convener
PHCM 2005- Principles of Prevention and Public Health Surveillance.https://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/courses/2024/PHCM2005?year=2024
Co-convennor
PHCM9788-Outbreak Investigation & Intelligence . https://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/postgraduate/courses/2023/PHCM9788