About
I was born in Bangladesh and my education was focused on Medicine, Diabetes, Epidemiology, Public Health, and Clinical & Epidemiological Research. I studied in Bangladesh, Norway and the USA. I have worked in Asia (Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri-Lanka and China), Europe (Norway, UK, Germany and Sweden), Africa (Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South and North Sudan and Egypt), South America (Brazil), and North America (USA).
My Motivation
"My father died at the age of 65 owing to complications of diabetes arising from a late diagnosis in 1982. I wanted to learn more about diabetes and decided to dedicate my career in promoting positive changes in diabetes care and manpower development."
My Moto
"To reconcile and rebuild IDF for the people with diabetes, securing their global voice irrespective of gender, race, religion or geographical location."
My Affiliations
IDF
I have been associated with the IDF since 2008, through the Bridges program as reviewer and co-chair and finally as Vice President (2013-2015 & 2016-2017). I have also held the position of Chair of the Consultative Section of Science and Member of the Finance Committee.
Bangladesh
I am delighted to be a part of the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh since 1998, as a life member. I was involved in the Distance Learning Program (DLP) for the General Practitioners and, as a founding member of the Global Health Centre for research, I developed the first master’s program in diabetes and other NCDs in Asia. I have had several EU funded projects with Master and Ph.D students trained in Norway from the DAB. Bangladesh Diabetes association is also “The proposer of the UN resolution on diabetes 61/225”.
Norway
I domiciled in Norway in 1982 as a student and have lived here since, with close ties to the Bangladesh Diabetes Association. Became a member of The Norwegian Diabetes Association. Served as an executive member of the Medical Advisory Body for 6 years of the Norwegian Diabetes Association. Also involved in the program: “Migrants and Diabetes”.
Throughout his career, Prof. Akhtar Hussain has worked to expand opportunity for the people with diabetes around the world.
Career
A visionary leader, he has, over the last 25 years of his professional life, demonstrated his competence as a bridge maker across culture and national boundaries with committed leadership in academia as well as in diabetes care in poor (Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Sri-Lanka, Nepal, China, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Brazil) as well as rich (Norway, UK, Germany, Sweden and the USA) countries, including most recent position as Vice President of the IDF for the last 5 years including: Chair, Consultative Section of Science and a member of the IDF finance committee. He has worked tireless to secure the voice of the people with diabetes through Member Associations to IDF and the World. And, a skilled diplomat, his collaborative, context-specific, and solutions-oriented approach to global health and international relations in diabetes care is respected worldwide.
Currently he is serving as the president of the Diabetes Asian Study Group (DASG) and co-editor of the Journal of Diabetology. He has served in different programs of IDF since 2008 in the Bridges programme as reviewer and co-chair and finally as Vice President (2013-2015 & 2016-2017). He has experience to organize diabetes care both from the rich and poor countries. He is a life member of the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh and executive member of the Norwegian Medical advisory body for the Norwegian Diabetic Association. He is a founding member of the Diabetes Asian Study Group (DASG). He has been working with the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh – “The proposer of the UN resolution on diabetes 61/225” for the last 25 years, in a resource constrain society while he has lived in Norway for the last 32 years, an affluent society, in the academia and also in diabetes care. He has realized the differences in organizing diabetes care in different societies but most importantly how diabetes care can be organized successfully in poor settings.
As an immigrant doctor/health professional in Europe he has also worked how to organize diabetes care among immigrants in Europe. As a consequence, he has organized a “net-work of excellence” for diabetes care among the immigrants funded by the European Union in 2002 entitled “Immigrant Diabetes – IMMIDIAB”.
He has commenced rehabilitation program for Type 1 diabetics in Bangladesh as well as Diabetes and Gestation Diabetes prevention initiative in Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, UK and Norway. His group was one of the foremost to include mental health in the prevention of diabetes initiative. He is a respected global voice for prevention of diabetes.
He is also the initiator for Master Studies entitled “Integrated Masters Programs (M.Phil.) in Public Health NCD in Asia (Bangladesh- Nepal, Bhutan, India and Pakistan) since 2006, one of its first kind to develop manpower in NCD and Diabetes care.
He has initiated collaboration for type 2 diabetes research with Oslo, Norway as coordinator with 21 academic partners from the Europe, Asia and Africa
