As the Country Director for Nutrition International Pakistan, Dr. Shabina Raza provides strategic, technical and operational guidance to Nutrition International Pakistan’s programs, including project development, finances, donor relations and human resources. She also leads advocacy work with key stakeholders, including government, donors and partners, with the aim to help bring about policy changes to improve the nutritional status of the population of Pakistan.
Dr. Raza, MS, MBBS and Post Graduate in Health Planning & Management, is an accomplished public health specialist with expertise in reproductive health, maternal, neonatal and child health (RMNCH) & nutrition, service delivery, policy development, human resources management and health systems strengthening. She has over 25 years of professional experience in senior positions within the Department of Health of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
While serving as the Deputy Director- Nutrition and later as Provincial Coordinator of the flagship Lady Health Worker (LHW) Program of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Raza was instrumental in introducing some innovative initiatives like the Sprinkles Initiative to control anemia in Pakistani and Afghan infants. As Chief of the Health Sector Research & Reforms Unit, she was responsible for keeping nutrition and reproductive health & family planning (RH/FP) a priority agenda of the Department of Health. She also contributed to the first Population Policy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2015. After the devolution of Health & Population Ministries to the provinces, she was instrumental in establishing Joint Contraceptive Forecasting & Procurement Committees for both the departments and developed the province’s Public Health Supply Chain Strategy 2017-22 focusing on uninterrupted contraceptive and medicine supplies.
Dr. Raza has been the Chairperson of the Reproductive Health Core Group and Provincial Technical Coordinating Committee on RH/FP and has been elected as the Executive Member of the Population Association of Pakistan. Throughout her career, she has provided significant technical inputs in the design and implementation of health sector projects as well as demonstrated an assertive stewardship role towards ensuring implementation of agreed policies. A strong leader, Dr. Raza possesses excellent communication skills.