Dr. Farhat Sahak, MD, MPH is a senior public health physician with over 18 years of leadership experience in Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development health sector. She brings deep expertise in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH), sexual and reproductive health, community-based health services, and health systems strengthening in fragile and complex settings.
Most recently, Dr. Sahak served as Midwifery Program Support Specialist at UNFPA Afghanistan, where she provided strategic and technical leadership across 22 provinces. She led national efforts to strengthen midwifery education and practice, including pre-service and in-service training, faculty development, and quality improvement for public and private midwifery schools, earning widespread recognition for her lifelong commitment to safe motherhood and women’s health.
Throughout her career, Dr. Sahak has managed large-scale, multi-donor programs, working closely with the Ministry of Public Health, UN agencies, international NGOs, and donors to ensure high standards of quality, accountability, and results. She is widely respected for her strategic leadership, strong coordination skills, and advocacy for women’s health, rights, and empowerment