MR. OMAR SHARIF

Mr. Omar Sharif is currently working as a Producer and Lead, Health Sciences Division, Channel 24, Dhaka, Bangladesh Since 2017. His field of expertise are evidence-based health communications, outreach-communications, policy analysis, policy advocay, documentary, programme design and media medicine. In Channel24 he introduced a flagship platform for discussing 360° health sciences with policy advocacy named Surakkhay Protidin which has crossed the milestone of more than one thousand episodes with the objective to identify and communicate evidence-based and data-driven information and education on various health issues and topics. Caring for your mental health [Shurokkhay Manoshik Shashtho-সুরক্ষায় মানসিক স্বাস্থ্য] is another special segment to discuss on different dimensions of mental health stressing on digital interventions in different sub-domains (i.e., child and adolescent health, digital mental health, mental health of refugee population & marginalised communities, parenting and mental health of children in modern times, gender in mental health research, human rights and mental health, bullying and mental health, dementia care etc.). For the first time in Bangladesh [Shurokkhay Manoshik Shashtho-সুরক্ষায় মানসিক স্বাস্থ্য-Caring for your Mental Health] received the ‘Digital Mental Health Leadership Excellence Award 2024’ by EMental Health International Collaborative and Mental Health Commission of Canada Commission de la santé mentale du Canada. Before that he successfully severed two mainstream broadcast media (Somoy TV and Channel 9) from 2010-1017 where he played a significant role in producing news and current affairs program to empower health and wellbeing following global best editorial practices. 

Mr. Sharif is also a member of board of trustees of Planetary Health Academia, the largest voluntary organization formed by resident and non-resident Bangladeshi physicians, researchers, academics with the active support of Bangladeshi physicians and others which envisioned a future where every physician of Bangladesh has access to a world-class health and medical education. As part of that vision, PHA proudly presented the first-ever PHA Global Summit 2024 in Bangladesh, a groundbreaking all-inclusive conference under the theme of Advancing Healthcare Together. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was the instrumental to publicizing the handbook and delivering the messages of Fighting Covid-19 on the Front Line, an aid to the management of the pandemic in Bangladesh. 

He was also a fellow of SEIP, where he drafted the policy research working paper on Private Practices Policy for Physicians (PPPP) for SEIP, Ministry of Finance in association with Civil Service College. He was actively involved with a series of research papers on Reproductive Decision-Making Role among Slum Dwellers of Dhaka City which published on yearly journal of Democracywatch (June 2009). He was invited as a delegate by SingHealth to join Proton Beam Therapy Seminar and to explore the glimpse of Singapore’s healthcare system. 

Mr. Omar is also currently involved with a group of qualitative and quantitative research study projects like: A thematic content analysis of TV health and medical talk shows in Bangladesh, A Quantitative Content Analysis of Depictions of Mental Health/Diabetes/Cancer/Physical Activities/Cardiovascular diseases in TV medical Talk shows in Bangladesh and The communication and ethical challenges and opportunities for journalists covering health topics in Bangladesh. He  passionately completed numerous creative workshops/courses/seminars/symposiums on Film, TV, Media, Research and Communications from BBC Media Action, British Council, South Asian Media Academy, Bangladesh Film Archive, Ministry of Information, Liberation War Museum Bangladesh, Bangladesh Documentary Council, YRF (RAMMRU), University of Dhaka, Scottish Documentary Institute, University of Edinburgh, Duke-NUS Medical School (National University of Singapore) and Friendship-One Sustainable Health for all foundation, France etc.

He was also the Executive Editor of the Souvenirs of 2nd, 3rd and 4th International Children’s Film Festivals, Bangladesh which took place in Dhaka from 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively. He was the Publications Advisor of the souvenir of Bangladesh Documentary Festival, 2011 and played role as an associate editor of Suborno Rekha (Subject: Ritwik Ghatak) on veteran film maker of Bengal. He got the nomination for a documentary film named Dhaka Stories: My Dream which awarded best student documentary film prize, 2011 Bangladesh later screening in Dhaka, Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival, UK and USA.

Academically, apart from his regular BA (hon’s), MA in English, Mr. Omar Sharif also completed Master of Public Affairs (MPA) in Governance and Public Policy (GPP) and successfully accomplished two post-graduation programs in International Relations and in Broadcast Journalism from University of Dhaka. 

With a clear vision to become an impactful catalyst in bringing positive transformation for the development in Bangldadesh health sector, His background in public policy and administration is contributing as a leading health journalist and TV producer in Bangladesh who is a true admirer of evidence-based science and using his extraordinary networking and science communication skills in the public health science communication domain.