PUAN congratulates Dr. Muhammad Zaeem Zia on his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA).
Dr. Zaeem Zia is a medical doctor and public health professional with extensive experience in health policy, governance, and service delivery. He holds an MBBS degree from Pakistan and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Administration as a Fulbright 2011 Fellow, with academic training in the United States at the University of Oklahoma and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His U.S. exchange experience played a key role in shaping his understanding of evidence based policymaking, regulatory systems, and patient centered healthcare.
Before assuming charge as CEO IHRA, Dr. Zaeem served as District Health Officer Islamabad, where he led public health initiatives and worked closely with provincial and federal stakeholders to strengthen health service delivery. His work reflects a strong focus on transparency, institutional accountability, and system level improvement, values reinforced through his academic and professional exposure in the United States.
Upon joining IHRA, Dr. Zaeem held an introductory meeting with the Authority’s team, where he appreciated their ongoing efforts and emphasized collaboration, professionalism, and continuous learning. He encouraged staff to work collectively toward strengthening departmental capacity, improving efficiency, and delivering effective regulatory oversight.
Dr. Zaeem reaffirmed IHRA’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate and aligning its work with the national vision for a transparent, efficient, and patient focused healthcare regulatory system. His appointment marks an important step toward strengthening healthcare regulation in Islamabad through informed leadership and global best practices.
As the United States marks 250 years of leadership and global engagement, Dr. Zaeem Zia’s journey reflects the long term impact of U.S. exchange programs like Fulbright. His transition from U.S. trained public health professional to national regulatory leader highlights how people to people exchanges continue to contribute to stronger public institutions in Pakistan.
PUAN extends its best wishes to Dr. Zaeem Zia and looks forward to the positive impact of his leadership at IHRA.
