Dr. Imrul Hasan: Leading Public Health Research at icddr,b
Dr. Imrul Hasan has worked at icddr,b, a public health research institute in Bangladesh, for 15 years, with the last decade spent in partnership with WEHI. As an assistant scientist and deputy project coordinator, Dr. Hasan leads studies addressing critical public health challenges.
Tackling Anaemia: Focus on Iron Deficiency and HMB
Key research areas include iron deficiency, a leading cause of anaemia in Bangladesh. The team has conducted several iron intervention studies to address this prevalent issue.
Current efforts focus on heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), which also contributes significantly to anaemia in women of reproductive age. This problem has a profound impact:
Reports indicate that 41% of Bangladeshi adolescent girls miss school due to this issue, which lacks a standard of care.
Addressing HMB is crucial, as there is currently no standard of care for this condition in Bangladesh.
Academic Pursuits and Collaborative Foundations
Dr. Hasan is also completing a PhD under Professor Sant-Rayn Pasricha at WEHI, an expert in anaemia, iron deficiency, and global health. This academic pursuit further strengthens the expertise brought to his research.
The collaboration between icddr,b and WEHI has a strong history of impactful research. It began with the BRISC (Benefits and Risks of Iron Interventions in Children in Rural Bangladesh) clinical trial, which evaluated iron syrup and micronutrient supplements on child development. This foundational work was followed by the EDIVA (Efficacy and Demonstration of IntraVenous Iron for Anaemia in Pregnancy) study, comparing intravenous and oral iron treatments for anaemia in pregnant women. These studies underscore the long-standing commitment to improving maternal and child health outcomes.