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.

Tuberculosis and tuberculosis/HIV/AIDS-associated mortality in Africa: the urgent need to expand and invest in routine and research autopsies.
Authors: Authors: Mudenda V, Lucas S, Shibemba A, O'Grady J, Bates M, Kapata N, Schwank S, Mwaba P, Atun R, Hoelscher M, Maeurer M, Zumla A.
J Infect Dis
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Tuberculosis diagnostics and biomarkers: needs, challenges, recent advances, and opportunities.
Authors: Authors: McNerney R, Maeurer M, Abubakar I, Marais B, McHugh TD, Ford N, Weyer K, Lawn S, Grobusch MP, Memish Z, Squire SB, Pantaleo G, Chakaya J, Casenghi M, Migliori GB, Mwaba P, Zijenah L, Hoelscher M, Cox H, Swaminathan S, Kim PS, Schito M, Harari A, Bates M, Schwank S, O'Grady J, Pletschette M, Ditui L, Atun R, Zumla A.
J Infect Dis
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Is operational research delivering the goods? The journey to success in low-income countries.
Authors: Authors: Zachariah R, Ford N, Maher D, Bissell K, Van den Bergh R, van den Boogaard W, Reid T, Castro KG, Draguez B, von Schreeb J, Chakaya J, Atun R, Lienhardt C, Enarson DA, Harries AD.
Lancet Infect Dis
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Guidance for evidence-informed policies about health systems: linking guidance development to policy development.
Authors: Authors: Lavis JN, Røttingen JA, Bosch-Capblanch X, Atun R, El-Jardali F, Gilson L, Lewin S, Oliver S, Ongolo-Zogo P, Haines A.
PLoS Med
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Research on implementation of interventions in tuberculosis control in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.
Authors: Authors: Cobelens F, van Kampen S, Ochodo E, Atun R, Lienhardt C.
PLoS Med
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Guidance for evidence-informed policies about health systems: rationale for and challenges of guidance development.
Authors: Authors: Bosch-Capblanch X, Lavis JN, Lewin S, Atun R, Røttingen JA, Dröschel D, Beck L, Abalos E, El-Jardali F, Gilson L, Oliver S, Wyss K, Tugwell P, Kulier R, Pang T, Haines A.
PLoS Med
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Implementing the global plan to stop TB, 2011-2015--optimizing allocations and the Global Fund's contribution: a scenario projections study.
Authors: Authors: Korenromp EL, Glaziou P, Fitzpatrick C, Floyd K, Hosseini M, Raviglione M, Atun R, Williams B.
PLoS One
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Adoption of rapid diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of malaria, a preliminary analysis of the Global Fund program data, 2005 to 2010.
Authors: Authors: Zhao J, Lama M, Korenromp E, Aylward P, Shargie E, Filler S, Komatsu R, Atun R.
PLoS One
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Telephone consultation for improving health of people living with or at risk of HIV: a systematic review.
Authors: Authors: van Velthoven MH, Tudor Car L, Car J, Atun R.
PLoS One
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Integrating prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programs to improve uptake: a systematic review.
Authors: Authors: Tudor Car L, Van Velthoven MH, Brusamento S, Elmoniry H, Car J, Majeed A, Tugwell P, Welch V, Marusic A, Atun R.
PLoS One
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