Arif Smajkic

Arif Smajkic (born 1932) is a leader and founder of public health in Bosnia and Herzegovina, educator, researcher, and scientist that worked on multiple projects related to health and medicine.

Biography

Arif Smajkić was born near Mostar.[1] After completing elementary and high school in Mostar and Sarajevo – with a slight delay due to World War II – he was conscripted into the Army. Smajkić served his mandatory military service as part of the Jugoslav navy in Split. After completing his military service, he enrolled into the Medical School in Sarajevo, graduating in 1961.[1] He practiced medicine in Mostar, Jablanica, and Sarajevo, where he also completed his two-year masters in Basics of Scientific Research Work. During his medical practice, he earned two more masters – Radiobiology With Radiological protection from the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, and Social Pediatrics from the Zagreb Pediatric Clinic, with Professor Pansini.

In 1970, he completed his social medicine, organization, and health economics residency in the School of Public Health "Andrija Štampar "in Zagreb. After years of professional and scientific experience, he began his university career at the Medical School in Sarajevo, which was to become his permanent position. He served three terms as Vice Dean for scientific work and postgraduate studies at the Sarajevo Medical School. He worked as an assistant, lecturer, assistant professor, and, ultimately, a professor of social and family medicine. Professor Smajkić was the founder and head of the Institute for Social and Family Medicine, with a health station and five teams responsible for 3,350 families and 10,400 patients.

In 1980, the Institute was designated a WHO collaborating center for Health System Research, with a particular focus on primary health care and family medicine. From 1978 to 1992, in cooperation with the Zagreb School of Public Health, "Andrija Štampar" and the WHO, he organized a postgraduate study program for students from 58 countries on the organization, planning, and management of primary health care (PHC), with a particular focus on Bosnian experience in successful control and eradication of trachoma, malaria, syphilis, and other infectious diseases. The program was attended by three hundred twenty students, mainly from Asia and Africa. The institute also closely worked with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,[1] Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, where Smajkić often taught as a visiting professor. In Sarajevo in the late 80s, Smajkić was instrumental in helping to deliver the decision to keep the University Hospital at its current Koševo location in proximity to the city and patients instead of an alternate proposal to move the University Hospital outside of the city to Betania location. He was a mentor to 129 social and family medicine residents, 62 masters, and 16 doctoral candidates.

He was the author and co-author of 15 books and more than 160 scientific and professional papers on the organization of healthcare, preventive medicine, pediatrics, geriatrics, migrant health care, addictions, radiological protection.[2] Smajkić launched several international research and education projects, including:

  • International study on the utilization of health resources in hospitals and health centers in 9 European countries with different funding systems.
  • Organizing health care and health services in disasters.[3]
  • Health care and health of migrants.[4]

Professional positions

In addition to teaching and scientific work, he also served as:

  • Director of the BiH State Public Health Institute from 1990 to 2011.[1][5][6]
  • Chair of the Committee for Health[7] and Social Security, responsible for ensuring medical supplies, medicines, and other items for health institutions, tracking statistical data and reporting on the killed, deceased, wounded, and internally displaced and refugee groups outside the country through a daily newsletter published in Bosnian and English languages that were the primary source of information used by international humanitarian, health and media agencies.
  • Minister of labor, social policy, and migration in the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1993 to 1995.[8][1]
  • Resident representative and advisor of BiH to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna from 2005 to 2009.
  • Editorial Board Secretary 1972 to 1978

References
  1. Israeli, Raphael; Benabou, Albert (2013). Savagery in the Heart of Europe. Strategic Book. pp. 533–534. ISBN 9781628570151.
  2. "Arif Smajkić's research". Research Gate.
  3. Carballo, Manuel; Smajkic, Arif (November–December 1995). "Bosnia and Herzegovina". World Health. 48 (6): 6–7. hdl:10665/330271. ISSN 0043-8502.
  4. Carballo, Manuel; Smajkic, Arif; Zeric, Damir; Dzidowska, Monika; Gebre-Medhin, Joy; Van Halem, Joost (July 2004). "Mental health and coping in a war situation: the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina". Journal of Biosocial Science. 36 (4): 463–477. doi:10.1017/s0021932004006753. ISSN 0021-9320. PMID 15293387. S2CID 8521613.
  5. "Annex VI.B : The battle of Sarajevo and the law of armed conflict". phdn.org. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  6. "OHR Bulletin No. 37". OHR. February 18, 1997.
  7. "Bosnians Try to Break Sarajevo Siege". Los Angeles Times. 1992-08-24. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  8. "The Mandate of WHO in Humanitarian Relief Operations" (PDF). Desastres. EUR/RC43/SC(4)/7: 37.
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