Dr. Samar Rashid Abdullahi

Treasurer | Infectious Disease & NTD Specialist | AMR, IPC & One Health Expert

Advancing evidence-based infectious disease systems, antimicrobial stewardship, and epidemic preparedness in arid and semi-arid (ASAL) health settings.

Dr. Samar Rashid Abdullahi is an Infectious Disease and Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Specialist, clinical researcher, and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), and pandemic preparedness leader with extensive experience designing and implementing evidence-based infectious disease systems in arid and semi-arid land (ASAL) settings — among the most underserved and specialist-absent environments in Kenya.

She holds a Master of Science in Tropical and Infectious Disease from the University of Nairobi and is the only infectious disease physician operating across Wajir County, serving a population of over 781,000. Her work spans frontline clinical medicine, county-level health policy, antimicrobial stewardship, epidemic preparedness and response, One Health surveillance, and operational research.

As Treasurer, she applies the same evidence-based rigour and accountability standards she uses in clinical and research settings to OHAAN's financial governance — ensuring responsible and transparent stewardship of organisational resources.

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Role at OHAAN

As Treasurer and Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Samar provides strategic and technical leadership in antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and control, neglected tropical disease management, and epidemic preparedness. She drives the design and county-wide implementation of clinical frameworks, IPC systems, and AMR stewardship programmes across Wajir County.

Her work bridges clinical medicine, public health systems, and operational research to deliver a coordinated One Health–informed response to infectious diseases in resource-limited ASAL settings.

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Technical Expertise & Implementation Leadership

• ASAL-specific AMR frameworks and stewardship indicator systems
• IPC systems strengthening through SOPs, audit tools, and county-wide policies
• Neglected tropical disease surveillance and epidemic preparedness systems
• Clinical guideline development and multidisciplinary health worker training

She is currently leading pioneering research into the diagnostic–prescriber gap in ASAL hospitals and developing the first context-adapted antimicrobial stewardship indicator toolkit for arid settings, contributing to Kenya’s National AMR Action Plan.

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Programme Leadership & Global Health Engagement

• Lead clinician & architect – Wajir County pandemic response team
• Developer – Mortality-reduction guidelines across 188 health facilities
• Lead architect – First ASAL-specific AMS indicator framework in Kenya
• Deputy Director – Wajir County Research Committee (infectious disease agenda)
• Lead author – HBV & TTI surveillance reports and national blood safety action
• County-wide lead – IPC, AMR stewardship & Kala-azar training (1,300+ health workers)

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Policy & Systems Strengthening

• Design and adoption of 8 IPC SOPs and clinical policies
• Development of paediatric Kala-azar and CKD clinical guidelines
• Creation of ASAL-specific AMS indicator toolkit
• Escalation of HBV blood safety crisis to national KNBTS response
• Development of AMS barrier taxonomy aligned with WHO GLASS framework

Her work ensures ASAL realities are integrated into national infectious disease and AMR policy frameworks.

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Professional Development & Research Focus

Dr. Samar is actively advancing research in infectious and non-communicable diseases affecting ASAL populations, contributing to global health equity through evidence generation in underserved regions.