Dr Fazla Fayaz is a distinguished researcher and global health advocate, holding a Doctor of Medicine in Community Medicine from the Post-Graduate Institute of Medicine University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Her specialization lies in public health, with a keen focus on maternal and child health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Over the last decade, her work has encompassed national health policy development, maternal care, and digital health innovations aimed at improving healthcare delivery in resource-limited settings. In addition to her MD, she has also earned a Master of Science in Community Medicine and a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education from the Post-Graduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo.
Currently, Dr. Fazla serves as the project manager for the Digitally Integrated Care Pathways for Multiple-Long-Term-Conditions Management (DIGIPATHS) in Primary Care, Sri Lanka. This project utilizes clinical information systems like OpenMRS to develop and evaluate a stakeholder co-produced digitally integrated care pathway, enhancing primary care services in Sri Lanka. Dr. Fazla oversees the implementation of this innovative platform, which aims to streamline data collection and analysis, enhance research efficiency, and foster evidence-based decision-making in the healthcare sector of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Additionally, she contributes as a coordinator and resource person from the Health Informatics and Multimorbidity Team at the Institute of Applied Health Research for the NIHR Research Service and Support (RSS), University of Birmingham.
Previously, Dr Fazla worked at the Family Health Bureau, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka where she contributed to the development of national guidelines and trained healthcare professionals in quality improvement in maternal and child health, breastfeeding management, and family planning counselling.
As a Senior Registrar in Community Medicine at the Directorate of Policy Analysis & Development, Ministry of Health Dr Fazla played a crucial role in reviewing the National Health Policy of Sri Lanka (2016-2025). She coordinated stakeholder meetings, conducted workshops, identified impact indicators, and authored reports. She also served as a trainer in data-to-policy workshops conducted by Vital Strategies, USA and Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka.
Dr Fazla is actively involved in several collaborative research projects. She was a sponsored researcher at the MuM-PreDiCT at the Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham and Played an integral role in the development of a grant application for an NIHR global health research group. This group is dedicated to addressing Gender-Based Violence and violence against children across five countries, namely South Africa, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, and Sri Lanka. Furthermore, she is a resource person at the Centre for Digital Epidemiology, University of Jaffna, where she contributes to the development of tools for measuring subfertility and evaluates community health worker interventions.
Throughout her career, Dr Fazla has co-authored several national guidelines and strategic plans, such as the National Guidelines for Maternal Care and the National Maternal and Newborn Strategic Plan Sri Lanka 2017-2025. Her research publications cover a wide range of topics, including health risk behaviours, adolescent and maternal health.
She aims to continue building on her extensive network of research collaborators in global health and multidisciplinary research, striving to make a significant impact on women's health in LMICs.
Dr. Fazla has been a visiting lecturer at the University of Jaffna for the Community Medicine module since 2023 and was previously a visiting lecturer at the Institute of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo, for the Public Health module from 2017 to 2021. She has delivered lectures to postgraduate trainees in MSc Community Medicine, MSc in Human Nutrition, MD Paediatrics, and MOHs, and has contributed to capacity-building workshops for Nutrition Counselling skills and IEC Material development for the estate sector, organized by the Health Promotion Bureau and the Directorate of Urban & Rural Development of the Ministry of Health. In addition to her teaching roles, Dr. Fazla has actively engaged in community service by conducting public awareness programs on maternal health, nutrition, non-communicable diseases, dengue, youth and mental health, and sexual and reproductive health in schools and communities. She has also led awareness programs on National Broadcasting Services about maternal, youth, and mental health services, participated in free community health camps across various provinces in Sri Lanka following disasters, and is an active member of the Serendib Doctors Forum, overseeing the Health Promotion Schools subcommittee in Colombo District.