Image of Rifat Atun, MD, BS

Rifat Atun, M.B.,B.S.

Professor of Global Health Systems, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Faculty Affiliate in the Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Dr Rifat Atun is Professor of Global Health Systems at Harvard University and the Faculty Chair for the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program.

From 2006- to 2013, Dr Atun was Professor of International Health Management and Head of the Health Management Group at Imperial College London. From 2008 to 2012 he served as a member of the Executive Management Team of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as the Director of Strategy, Performance and Evaluation Cluster, where he chaired the panel that oversaw investments of around $4billion each year in more than 100 countries.

Dr Atun has published more than 400 papers in leading journals including the Lancet, NEJM, Academy of Management Journal, Lancet Global Health, Lancet Infectious Diseases, Lancet Oncology, and Lancet Psychiatry and PLoS Medicine. He has led or has been a commissioner in 12 Lancet Commissions and was a co-author and member of the Advisory Committee for the Editors for Disease Control Priorities (DCP) 3. In 2020, he was recognized by the Web of Science as one of the World’s Highly Cited Researchers.

Prof. Atun has worked with more than 30 governments globally and with the World Bank, World Health Organization, and the UK Department for International Development (DfID) to design, implement and evaluate health system reform initiatives. In 1999-2006 he was a member of the UK DfID Resource Centre for Health Systems.

Dr Atun has led executive education programs and undertaken assignments for major organizations including Novartis, Medtronic, GSK, Pfizer Inc., the Vodafone Group, and Hofmann-La Roche.

Professor Atun’s research has two major strands. The first examines health systems performance and how design and implementation of health system reforms impact on outcomes. The second strand of research explores adoption and diffusion of innovations in health systems (e.g. new health technologies, disease control programmes, and primary healthcare reforms), and innovative financing in global health. Prof. Atun is a co-Investigator and the joint lead for the innovation work stream at the National Centre for Infection Prevention and Management at Imperial College.

He is also a co-Investigator and the Theme Lead for ‘Organisational Change, Health Economics and Evaluation’ at the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit for Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection.

Investments in sexually transmitted infection research, 1997-2013: a systematic analysis of funding awarded to UK institutions.
Authors: Authors: Head MG, Fitchett JR, Cassell JA, Atun R.
J Glob Health
View full abstract on Pubmed
Effect of health system reforms in Turkey on user satisfaction.
Authors: Authors: Stokes J, Gurol-Urganci I, Hone T, Atun R.
J Glob Health
View full abstract on Pubmed
Changes in government spending on healthcare and population mortality in the European union, 1995-2010: a cross-sectional ecological study.
Authors: Authors: Budhdeo S, Watkins J, Atun R, Williams C, Zeltner T, Maruthappu M.
J R Soc Med
View full abstract on Pubmed
Comparing research investment to United Kingdom institutions and published outputs for tuberculosis, HIV and malaria: a systematic analysis across 1997-2013.
Authors: Authors: Head MG, Fitchett JR, Derrick G, Wurie FB, Meldrum J, Kumari N, Beattie B, Counts CJ, Atun R.
Health Res Policy Syst
View full abstract on Pubmed
Transforming Turkey's Health System--Lessons for Universal Coverage.
Authors: Authors: Atun R.
N Engl J Med
View full abstract on Pubmed
Women and Health: the key for sustainable development.
Authors: Authors: Langer A, Meleis A, Knaul FM, Atun R, Aran M, Arreola-Ornelas H, Bhutta ZA, Binagwaho A, Bonita R, Caglia JM, Claeson M, Davies J, Donnay FA, Gausman JM, Glickman C, Kearns AD, Kendall T, Lozano R, Seboni N, Sen G, Sindhu S, Temin M, Frenk J.
Lancet
View full abstract on Pubmed
Mapping pneumonia research: A systematic analysis of UK investments and published outputs 1997-2013.
Authors: Authors: Head MG, Fitchett JR, Newell ML, Scott JA, Harris JN, Clarke SC, Atun R.
EBioMedicine
View full abstract on Pubmed
Achieving Effective Universal Health Coverage And Diagonal Approaches To Care For Chronic Illnesses.
Authors: Authors: Knaul FM, Bhadelia A, Atun R, Frenk J.
Health Aff (Millwood)
View full abstract on Pubmed
Global Task Force on Radiotherapy for Cancer Control.
Authors: Authors: Jaffray DA, Knaul FM, Atun R, Adams C, Barton MB, Baumann M, Lievens Y, Lui TY, Rodin DL, Rosenblatt E, Torode J, Van Dyk J, Vikram B, Gospodarowicz M.
Lancet Oncol
View full abstract on Pubmed
Expanding global access to radiotherapy.
Authors: Authors: Atun R, Jaffray DA, Barton MB, Bray F, Baumann M, Vikram B, Hanna TP, Knaul FM, Lievens Y, Lui TY, Milosevic M, O'Sullivan B, Rodin DL, Rosenblatt E, Van Dyk J, Yap ML, Zubizarreta E, Gospodarowicz M.
Lancet Oncol
View full abstract on Pubmed