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Hoda Rashad

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Hoda Rashad

  • Position: Professor and Director
  • Department: Social Research Center
  • Email: [email protected]
Brief Biography

Hoda Rashad is a professor and director of the Social Research Center of The American University in Cairo (AUC). She holds a doctorate in population studies from the University of London. Previously, Rashad worked as chief technical advisor of the United Nations (1993-1995), an associate of the International Population Council (1989-1993), and a faculty member at the Institute of Statistical Studies and Research, Cairo University (1991-1995).

Current responsibilities include active participation in research and directing the substantive program of the Social Research Center (SRC), fundraising, and overseeing the execution of SRC grants (A typical cycle of 3 years, will include an average of 30 grants with a budget of around $4 million). Personal research interests are in the areas of social policies for development, health equity and social determinants of health, gender issues, demographic analysis. She is a resource person and consultant to a number of national and international organizations. Currently ( during 2021), she serves as a member of the Arab States Office of UNFPA Research Advisory Group (2021 -2025), member of the Policy Advisory Group of WHO international report on ‘Social Determinants of Health Equity(2021- present), member of the international advisory group of Institute of Global Health and Development (IGHD) of Aga Khan University (2021- present). Previously, she served as a member of three high-level Commissions established by WHO: Eastern Mediterranean Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2019-2020), Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (2014-2016), Commission on Social Determinants of Health ( 2005-2008).

Rashad also served as a member of the Technical Advisory Committee to the Regional Director of WHO/EMRO (2013-2016). Member of the Advisory Committee of the WHO Center for Health Development (ACWKC) in Kobe, Japan, for the period of three years (2012-2014). Member of the Regional External Advisory Panel for UNFPA Arab States Regional Office (2009-2010). Vice-Chairman of the Dutch Development Assistance Research Council (RAWOO). The Council advised the Dutch government on policy for development-related research, The Netherlands. (2002-2007). Member of the governing body of Global Development Network (GDN). A network launched in 1999 to support and link research and policy institutes involved in development. (2001-2004).

In Egypt,  Rashad served as a member of the National Council for Women, a council that aims to improve the situation of women and their participation in the development of Egypt (2000-2011); a member of the Senate (Shura Council), one of the two parliamentary bodies in Egypt (2004 - 2011); member of the Social, Humanity and Population Science Council, the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (2009-2012). She has published a large number of scientific papers and has contributed to a number of reports whose recommendations were endorsed in resolutions adopted by the World Health Assembly of WHO, and to reports co-published jointly by SRC and other UN organizations. 

Research Interest
  • Social policies for development (particularly for poverty alleviation and health equity)
  • Gender issues
  • Reproductive health
  • Demographic analysis and evaluation of the impact of health interventions
  • CECO, Report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity: World Health Organization (Hoda Rashad is a contributing author as a member of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity). 2016.
  • El Zeini, Laila and Hoda Rashad "Reproductive health policies in the Arab Role: Beyond filling gaps to opening prospects for development" FAPPD, States of Arab League, UNFPA and SRC/AUC. Policy Paper, No. 1. June 2016.
  • Rashad, Hoda “The tempo and intensity of marriage in the Arab region: Key challenges and their implications” DIFI Family Research and Proceedings. Vol. 2015 1, 2.DOI:10.5339/difi.2015.2.
  • Rashad, Hoda “Health Equity in the Arab World: The Future we Want, The Lancet, Lebanon, November 2014. pp: 4-5. www.thelancet.com.
  • Rashad, Hoda and Hassan Zaky “A comparative Analysis of Fertility Plateau in Egypt, Syria and Jordan: Policy Implication” ICPD Beyond 2014 Arab States Report: Development Challenges and Population Dynamics in a Changing Arab World, LAS, UNFPA, ESCWA and UNECA. (2014)  pp: 265-302.
  • Rashad, Hoda “Research for Health as a Driver of Equity and Development Perspectives and Experiences of Stakeholders”, Research for Health as a driver of Equity and Development in the Context of Political and Social Change in the Arab World meeting, Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) held in Bellagio, Italy Feb. 27-March 1st., 2013. P46.
  • Rashad, Hoda,  Khadr, Zeinab. “Measurement of health equity as a driver for impacting policies” Health Promotion International. Vol. 29 no. S1 2014. pp.68-82.
  • Rashad, Hoda and Zeinab Khadr “Knowledge Gaps: The Agenda for Research and Action.” in I. Nuwayhid, M. Khawaja, S. Jabbour and R. Giacaman (Eds) Public Health in the Arab World. Cambridge Press. 2012. Pp: 106-115.
  • CSDH, Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Final Report on the Commission on Social Determinants of Health, Geneva: World Health Organization (Hoda Rashad is a contributing author as a member of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health). 2008.
  • PhD in population studies from the University of London in 1977
  • Current responsibilities include directing the substantive program of the Social Research Center, fundraising and overseeing the execution of SRC grants (a typical cycle of three years, will include an average of 30 grants with a budget of around $4 million) as well as active participation in research. The current substantive program of the SRC emphasizes two directions: the first is a regional orientation producing quality comparative research, providing multidisciplinary population/health training and building close regional ties; the second is a policy support direction, where the research produced by SRC is influencing policies and SRC is a resource center linking research with action. 
  • Member of the Council of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP), (2006 - 2009).
  • Member of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health established by WHO (2005 - 2008), the commission produced its final report identifying a number of social policies and actions to achieve health equity
  • Elected member of a committee to establish the Arab Council of Social Sciences (2006 - 2008), the council was established on December 2008
  • Member of the WHO global as well as regional (EMRO) Advisory Committee on Health Research (ACHR) (2007 - 2011)
  • Vice chairman of the Dutch Development Assistance Research Council (RAWOO), the council advised the Dutch government on policy for development-related research (2002 - 2007)
  • Member of the governing body of the Global Development Network (GDN), a network launched in 1999 to support and link research and policy institutions involved in development (2001 - 2004)
  • Member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) of UNDP/UNFPA/WHO/World Bank Special Program of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (1998 - 2004)
  • Founding member of the scientific review board of Demographic Research, the first peer-reviewed, online journal of the population sciences published by Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany (1999 - 2011)
  • Member of the External Reference Group for WHO Research Strategy (2007 -2009)
  • Chair of the first committee on Population and Health in the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population
  • Member of the Population Council International Senior Advisory Panel for a comprehensive needs assessment of training and support for population experts in developing countries
  • Served as a resource person to UNICEF/Gulf office to coordinate the preparation of Gulf country reports on Situation Analysis of Children, which were the base documents for developing the UNICEF Programme of Cooperation with the governments of the Gulf countries.