Sajjad Fazel

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Dr.

Sajjad Fazel
Sajjad Fazel, Public Health Researcher, University of Calgary, Canada.jpg
Sajjad Fazel at the University of Calgary
Born14 May 1991
NationalityCanadian
Education Doctor of Pharmacy, Master of Public Health
Alma mater Manipal Academy of Higher Education, University of Western Ontario
Occupation Public health researcher
Website sajjadfazel.ca

Sajjad Sherally Fazel (born May 14, 1991) is a Canadian clinical pharmacist, public health researcher, and the founder of Afya Yako, Tanzania's first online health promotion initiative. [1] [2] [3] Afya Yako impacted thousands of Tanzanians and inspired an online health movement in Tanzania. [4] [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Sajjad was born and raised in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He graduated from Haven of Peace Academy in 2009. He received a Doctor of Pharmacy from Manipal Academy of Higher Education in early 2015. During his time at Manipal, he was the lead for VSO - Manipal, a university voluntary organization. [6] In 2018, he received a Master of Public Health from the University of Western Ontario. Sajjad received an Institute Community Support Travel Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for presenting a poster on Afya Yako at the Canadian Public Health Association Conference in 2018. [7] He is also a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers community. [8] He currently resides in Calgary. [2]

Career

Research

In May 2018, Sajjad joined the Canadian Cancer Society as a policy researcher working on the smoke-free campuses initiative. [1] [2] This initiative advocated for post-secondary institutions to adopt a 100% smoke-free campus and produced a report of smoke-free campuses in Canada, as a result, several university and colleges adopted the policy and the initiative received wide media attention. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

In January 2019, Sajjad joined Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary as a public health researcher studying the safe handling of antineoplastic drugs. [1] He is currently researching and addressing the spread of COVID-19 misinformation for which he has appeared on several news outlets. [14] [15] [16] [17] Sajjad has published numerous articles in academic journals and popular media on topics related to cancer prevention, tobacco control, and COVID-19 misinformation. [18] [19] [20]

Columnist

Sajjad began his career in journalism in early 2014, by writing for a local magazine called, What's happening in Dar. In early 2015, he caught the eye of Nipashe editor, who hired Sajjad as a health columnist for the Swahili language Tanzanian newspaper. Sajjad remained with Nipashe for 6 months, covering local health issues. [21] [22]

In July 2015, Sajjad left Nipashe and was immediately recruited by The Citizen editor as a health columnist for a new health page published every Monday. At The Citizen, Sajjad discussed about various health topics and advocated for change in the health sector by raising various concerns that provoked thought and action. [23] [24] [25] [26] [27]

In July 2016, Sajjad advocated against the widespread use of Hookah in Tanzania through various articles [28] [29] [30] and radio talks [31] that led the President of Tanzania, John Magufuli to ban the use of Hookah nationwide. [32]

Sajjad continued his advocacy by bringing to light the Aflatoxin epidemic in Tanzania and proposing a solution for it. [33] Questions were raised towards the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare by the public [34] and funding for the proposed solution began which completed on December 19, 2017. [35]

Throughout 2016, Sajjad continued to advocate about the rise of Non-communicable diseases in Tanzania, discussing various topics including healthy eating and the importance of exercise. [36] [37] This caused the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to institute a national day of exercise in December 2016. [38]

Social media

In June 2016, Sajjad founded Afya Yako Online, a Swahili-based health education and awareness health initiative that educated and empowered thousands of Tanzanians on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. [39] This initiative was sponsored by Kwanza TV. [3] In 2017, the Afya Yako Online initiative had received great acclaim from notable persons, politicians and media alike. [40] [41]

Other media appearances

Sajjad has appeared in numerous Television and Radio shows as himself advocating for healthy policies and educating the public. [42] He also appeared on BBC Swahili Radio in October 2016. [43] Sajjad continues to provide commentary on various health issues for Tanzanian Newspapers. [44] [45] [46] He has also appeared several times as a guest speaker on Canadian television and radio shows. [47] [48] [49] [50] [14]

Selected works and publications

Selected articles

Selected journals

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Calgary</span> Public research university in Canada

The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being instituted into a separate, autonomous university in 1966. It is composed of 14 faculties and over 85 research institutes and centres. The main campus is located in the northwest quadrant of the city near the Bow River and a smaller south campus is located in the city centre. The main campus houses most of the research facilities and works with provincial and federal research and regulatory agencies, several of which are housed next to the campus such as the Geological Survey of Canada. The main campus covers approximately 200 hectares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hookah</span> Type of water pipe

A hookah, shisha, or waterpipe is a single- or multi-stemmed instrument for heating or vaporizing and then smoking either tobacco, flavored tobacco, or sometimes cannabis, hashish and opium. The smoke is passed through a water basin—often glass-based—before inhalation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoking cessation</span> Process of discontinuing tobacco smoking

Smoking cessation, usually called quitting smoking or stopping smoking, is the process of discontinuing tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoke contains nicotine, which is addictive and can cause dependence. As a result, nicotine withdrawal often makes the process of quitting difficult.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World No Tobacco Day</span> International observance on 31 May

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed around the world every year on 31 May. The annual observance informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what the World Health Organization (WHO) is doing to fight against the use of tobacco, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hookah lounge</span> Establishment where patrons share hookah / shisha

A hookah lounge is an establishment where patrons share shisha from a communal hookah or from one placed at each table or a bar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Amollo Odhiambo</span>

Peter Amollo Odhiambo, MBBS, MMed (Surg), FRCS (Edin), FCS (ECSA), FACC, is a Kenyan consultant thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon. He is Kenya's first cardiothoracic surgeon and a professor of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at the University of Nairobi. He is a founder and former chairman of the Kenya Cardiac Society, and a former president of the Pan African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR). Odhiambo is the chairman of the Kenya Tobacco Control Board. He is also the founder and editor of Medicom, the African Journal of Hospital Medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flavored tobacco</span> Tobacco product with added flavorings

Flavored tobacco products — tobacco products with added flavorings — include types of cigarettes, cigarillos and cigars, hookahs and hookah tobacco, various types of smokeless tobacco, and more recently electronic cigarettes. Flavored tobacco products are especially popular with youth and have therefore become targets of regulation in several countries.

World Lung Foundation (WLF) is a non-profit foundation established in 2004 to support private organizations and government agencies, who work to improve lung health, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muʽassel</span> Syrupy tobacco mixture used in hookahs

Muʽassel, or maassel, is a syrupy tobacco mix containing molasses, vegetable glycerol and various flavourings which is smoked in a hookah, a type of waterpipe. It is also known as "shisha".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences</span> University in Ilala District, Dar es Salaam Region

Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) ( Chuo Kikuu cha Afya na Sayansi Shirikishi Muhimbili, in Swahili) is a public university located in Upanga West, Ilala District of Dar es Salaam Region in Tanzania. It is accredited by the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU).

The majority of lifelong smokers begin smoking habits before the age of 24, which makes the college years a critical time for tobacco companies to convince college students to pick up the habit of cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking in college is seen as a social activity by those who partake in it, and more than half of the students that are users do not consider themselves smokers. This may be because most college students plan to quit smoking by the time that they graduate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoking in Egypt</span> Overview of smoking in Egypt

The use of tobacco products in Egypt is widespread. It is estimated that approximately twenty percent of the population uses tobacco products daily. Cigarettes are the most common form of tobacco consumption in Egypt, with an estimated twenty billion cigarettes smoked annually in the country. After cigarettes, shisha water-pipes are the most common form of tobacco consumption.

Sajjad is a given name and a surname. This name is derived from the Arabic word "Masjid", which is actually derived from another word in the Middle Persian language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoking in Canada</span>

SmokinginCanada is banned in indoor public spaces, public transit facilities and workplaces, by all territories and provinces, and by the federal government. As of 2010, legislation banning smoking within each of these jurisdictions is mostly consistent, despite the separate development of legislation by each jurisdiction. Notable variations between the jurisdictions include: whether, and in what circumstances ventilated smoking rooms are permitted; whether, and up to what distance away from a building is smoking banned outside of a building; and, whether smoking is banned in private vehicles occupied by children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Magufuli</span> President of Tanzania from 2015 to 2021

John Pombe Joseph Magufuli was the fifth president of Tanzania, serving from 2015 until his death in 2021. He served as Minister of Works, Transport and Communications from 2000 to 2005 and 2010 to 2015 and was chairman of the Southern African Development Community from 2019 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobacco-free college campuses</span>

Tobacco-free college campuses are colleges and universities that have implemented policies prohibiting the use of tobacco products at all indoor and outdoor campus locations. Tobacco is known to be harmful to the health of smokers, bystanders, and the environment. Since this issue was first recognized, colleges have been creating policies for tobacco use on campus in an effort to improve health standards, provide more enjoyable campus conditions, and to reduce the negative environmental effects of tobacco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Caulfield</span> Canadian law professor and host of the television series A Users Guide to Cheating Death (b. 1963)

Timothy Allen Caulfield is a Canadian professor of law at the University of Alberta, the research director of its Health Law Institute, and current Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy. He specializes in legal, policy and ethical issues in medical research and its commercialization. In addition to professional publications, he is the author of several books aimed at the general reader and host of a television documentary series debunking pseudoscientific myths. He is a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World is an organization focused on smoking harm reduction founded in 2017. It is funded by Philip Morris International (PMI), which had initial plans for $80 million in annual funding. The current pledge agreement from PMI to the Foundation, modified in September 2020, promises $35 million in funding to the Foundation from 2022 through 2029.

ScienceUpFirst is a Canadian initiative launched to counter misinformation online, especially about COVID-19. Launched January 25, 2021, it brings together independent scientists, health care providers and science communicators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">19 to Zero</span> Canadian communications initiative

19 to Zero is a not-for-profit behavioural sciences initiative based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Hosted at the University of Calgary, the public–private partnership is made up of around 500 members including public health specialists, academics, behavioural psychologists, marketers and multimedia creators. Its purpose is to increase confidence in vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases by tackling vaccine hesitancy. The group publishes materials on its website and through partner organizations, including videos, billboards, presentations, brochures and in-person events.

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