Dr Mohammad Afzal Mahmood’s work in public health spans more than two decades of service both in Australia and southeast Asia. His expertise has helped transform health service delivery throughout the region, as well as in his local community in Adelaide.
Afzal’s active leadership has been hugely influential in improving maternal healthcare in Timor Leste, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Working with local authorities, Afzal has helped to introduce long-lasting changes among healthcare practitioners in developing countries, leading to a decrease in maternal and infant mortality.
In Adelaide, he has long been active in many community programs and cultural organisations, instigating public health programs to promote vaccination uptake, and providing outreach services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his academic role at the University of Adelaide, Afzal’s dedicated support of research students has created a legacy of skilled practitioners willing to take on the challenges of delivering healthcare around the world.