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Abdel Omran | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cairo, Egypt |
| Nationality | Egyptian, American |
| Occupation | Epidemiologist |
| Known for | Epidemiological Transition Theory |
Abdel Rahim Omran (1925-1999) was an Egyptian-American epidemiologist and medical doctor. He is credited as being the first person to posit the theory of epidemiological transition, in 1971.
Early Life
[edit]Omran was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1925. He attended Cairo University, obtained a Medical Doctorate (MD) in 1952 and married Khairia F. Omran (neé Yousef Fawzy), a medic and researcher in family planning, the same year.[1]
Career
[edit]After gaining his MD, Omran moved to the United States, where he received a Master of Public Health (MPH) in 1956 and a Doctorate in Public Health in 1959 from Columbia University.[1] His doctorate thesis, Use of the “Epidemiological Approach” in Evaluation of Tuberculosis Case-Finding by Tuberculin Testing of Young Children in an Area with Underdeveloped Resources, took him to Many Farms, Arizona, where he spent time with the Navajo Nation. He was conducting experiments on the efficacy of an inexpensive skin test for tuberculosis detection. This experience exposed him to the challenges of healthcare delivery in under-resourced populations and instilled in him an appreciation for respecting local culture and understanding community needs.[2]
In 1959, Omran returned to Egypt where he spent four years teaching at Cairo University. In addition to his work on infectious diseases in Egypt, he also contributed to a tuberculosis detection study in Bolivia. In 1964 he returned to the United States. He worked as a radiation epidemiologist in New York City, and then accepted a position at the University of Carolina, Chapel Hill as an Associate Professor of Epidemiology in 1966. This move marked a turning point in his career, as he became increasingly involved in the burgeoning field of family planning.[1]
By 1970, he was the Coordinator of the WHO Health and Fertility Studies, and the associate director of the Carolina Population Center (CPC). The CPC was a major hub for population studies, and Omran quickly immersed himself in its research agenda, focusing on fertility, family planning, and abortion. He held a number of other positions, including as a consultant for the World Bank, the Ford Foundation, and the UN Trust Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA).[1] Omran’s wife, Khairia, also joined the CPC, working alongside Jaroslav F. Hulka in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology to develop safer and more cost-effective sterilization devices.[1]
In 1971, Omran became full Professor of Public Health at Chapel Hill as well as the Director of the WHO International Reference Center for Epidemiological Studies in Human Reproduction.[1][3] This was the year he published the first paper describing the epidemiological transition theory. Omran believed that this theory could more effectively guide policy analysis and support the integration of family planning into health service structures.[1]
Collaboration with the World Health Organization
[edit]Throughout his career, Omran maintained a strong association with the WHO, particularly during the organisation’s expansion into international family planning in the 1960s and 1970s. He held several key positions within the WHO, including Member of the WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Human Reproduction (joined in 1978)[1]
Omran firmly believed that family planning should be integrated into existing healthcare services, a stance that set him apart from many population control advocates who favoured standalone programs. He argued that this approach would be more effective in reaching women and promoting acceptance of family planning practices. He actively produced research to support this position, publishing extensively on the health benefits of family planning and the importance of providing family planning services within the context of maternal and child health.[1]
Focus on Islam and Family Planning
[edit]As a practicing Muslim, Omran was committed to reconciling family planning with Islamic teachings. He argued that Islam supported planned families and that religious principles could be effectively used to promote the acceptance of family planning practices. He published "Family Planning in the Legacy of Islam" in 1992, a book examining the compatibility of Islam and contraception.[4]
Omran’s focus on Islam extended to his work with various Arab countries, especially Egypt, where he contributed significantly to the development of family planning programs and policies. He also conducted extensive research on family planning and health in numerous Muslim-majority countries.[1]
Later Career and Legacy
[edit]In 1984, Omran left North Carolina to become Director of Population and Health Studies at the University of Maryland’s Center for International Development and Conflict Management. He subsequently joined the Department of International Public Health at George Washington University, continuing to consult for various international organizations and governments.[1][3]
Omran's work, particularly his advocacy for integrating family planning with health services, has had a lasting impact on the field of public health. His efforts helped to establish family planning as a legitimate health concern and paved the way for a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between population dynamics and public health interventions.[1]
Omran also tirelessly championed the concept of "population epidemiology," a sub-discipline focusing on the epidemiological study of population dynamics and family planning. Despite his efforts, this field did not gain widespread recognition, perhaps due to the increasing specialisation within epidemiology and the focus on chronic diseases. Despite this, Omran's work laid the groundwork for a more integrated approach to understanding the interplay between population dynamics and health.[1]
Though he faced criticism for his close ties to the population control movement from both pro-life advocates and some Islamic groups, Omran remained a respected figure in the field, known for his commitment to improving the lives of people in developing countries.[1]
Omran died in April, 1999.[5]
Bibliography
[edit]- Omran, Abdel (1977). "A century of epidemiologic transition in the United States". Preventive Medicine. 6 (1): 30–51. doi:10.1016/0091-7435(77)90003-2.
- Omran, Abdel (1977). "Epidemiologic transition in the United States: the health factor in population change". Population Bulletin. 32 (2): 1–42. PMID 12335110.
- Omran, Abdel (1983). "The epidemiologic transition theory. A preliminary update". Journal of Tropical Pediatrics. 29 (6):305–316. doi:10.1093/tropej/29.6.305.
- Omran, Abdel (1992). "Family Planning in the Legacy of Islam". Routledge. ISBN 9781138969582.
- Omran, A and Roudi, F (1993). "The Middle East population puzzle". Population Bulletin. 48(1):1-40. PMID 12318382.
- Omran, Abdel (1998). "The epidemiologic transition theory revisited thirty years later" (PDF). World Health Statistics Quarterly. 51. World Health Organization: 99–119. PDF
- Omran, A. R. (2005) [1971], "The epidemiological transition: A theory of the epidemiology of population change" (PDF), The Milbank Quarterly, 83 (4): 731–57. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0009.2005.00398.x.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Weisz G, Olszynko-Gryn, J (2010). "The Theory of Epidemiologic Transition: the Origins of a Citation Classic". Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences. 65 (3): 287–326. doi:10.1093/jhmas/jrp058. PMID 20028697.
- ^ Omran, Abdel (1959). Use of the "epidemiologic approach" in evaluation of tuberculosis case-finding by tuberculin testing of young children in a area with underdeveloped resources (Public Health thesis). New York: Columbia University.
- ^ a b Omran, A. R. (2005) [1971], "The epidemiological transition: A theory of the epidemiology of population change" (PDF), The Milbank Quarterly, 83 (4): 731–57, doi:10.1111/j.1468-0009.2005.00398.x, PMC 2690264, PMID 16279965, archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-04-12. Reprinted from The Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, 49 (4, Pt 1): 509–538, 1971
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link) - ^ Omran, Abdel (1992). Family Planning in the Legacy of Islam. Routledge. ISBN 9781138969582.
- ^ Omran, Abdel (1998). "The epidemiologic transition theory revisited thirty years later - note on page 99" (PDF). World Health Statistics Quarterly. 51. World Health Organization: 99–119.