STAR Fellows and Interns contribute their specialized skills to their host organizations, building capacity while improving their own effectiveness as global health leaders. Through fellowship and internship placements, professionals will:
Dr. Asif originally belongs to Pakistan and he is currently serving Myanmar National TB Control Program in the capacity of senior Technical Advisor MDR TB since mid of 2017. During his tenure he has been successfully able to establish NTP Technical Leadership and supported NTP to improve MDR TB management in the country through strategic & well-coordinated role and effectively engaging partners in MDR TB cascade of care. His technical response along with efforts and support of USAID-CTB project NTP accessed to new drugs and implemented shorter regimen along with well-functioning aDSM mechanism establishment earlier in 2018. He promoted to expand universal DST for all TB patients along with scaling up DST to 2nd line drugs. With his efforts NTP implemented new model of diagnosis by using Chest X-ray and G.Xpert among presumptive TB patients. His programmatic and clinical expertise built the capacity for MDR TB program and optimized overall PMDT management and transition to all oral regimens in 2019. He is a trained facilitator and trainer of the trainers and currently engaged as a peer facilitator for STAR LLC pilot project. Dr Asif overall believes in working in partnership, achieving goals through team building, team empowerment and inclusiveness, finding solutions through consultative approach and rapid and sustainable growth is his passion. Aside from being a Doctor, he loves developing social networks, carrying out social work and keeps himself engaged in fitness.
