Dr Rajeeb Kumar Sah is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Public Health, International Lead in the Department of Allied Health Professions, Sports and Exercise, and Co-Chair of the Asian Staff Affinity Group within the School of Human and Health Sciences at the University of Huddersfield. Trained as a Medical Doctor, he holds a PhD in Health and Social Care (Public Health), an MSc in Public Health, and a Postgraduate Certificate in International Relations and Globalisation. He is a Chartered Manager and a Member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMgr MCMI), as well as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and the Royal Society of Public Health (FRSPH). Previously, Dr Sah worked as a Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Health Promotion, Programme Director for the MSc in Global Public Health, and International Lead for the School of Allied and Public Health Professions at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Dr Sah is an interdisciplinary researcher dedicated to advancing global health equity and addressing systemic disparities across diverse and disadvantaged populations. His work critically engages with the social determinants of health to explore and understand the lived experiences and health outcomes of marginalised communities through an intersectional lens. Dr Sah’s research focuses on global health issues, including mental health and wellbeing, sexual and reproductive health, and maternal and child health. Using qualitative, co-production, and participatory approaches, he collaborates with communities to generate evidence that informs inclusive, culturally responsive, and equitable public health policy and practice. His research methods are deeply rooted in ethical engagement and reflexivity, ensuring that the voices of those most affected by health inequities remain central to the research process.

Research interests: Co-production and participatory research, ethnography, qualitative methods, systematic reviews, health equity, mental health and wellbeing, maternal and child health and global public health.

Current research projects include:

• Culturally sensitive perinatal mental health conversations with South Asian mothers in England
• A multi-country (Nepal, India, Ghana) longitudinal cohort study on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Global South
• Mental health and wellbeing benefits of human-nature interactions among ethnic minority populations
• Women’s experiences and perceptions of male partner/spouse involvement in maternal health services among Asian or Asian British populations in West Yorkshire
• Families Growing Together: Evaluating the impact of the Five Ways to Wellbeing on mental health and wellbeing
• Mental health experiences and coping strategies of Asian or Asian British children and young people in West Yorkshire
• Families Growing Together: Mental health and wellbeing benefits of nature interaction among Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic groups
• Improving the health and wellbeing of homeless people through enhanced access to health and social care services in West Yorkshire

Current PhD Students:

• Co-design in health services: an initiative to improve the delivery and uptake of free maternal and newborn health services in Nepal (Devendra Raj Singh)
• Loss to follow up among people living with HIV/AIDS: Exploring barriers and facilitators of Antiretroviral Therapy in Nigeria (Hassana Josephine John)
• Maternal Mental Health and Child Wellbeing of Black African Immigrant Mothers in the UK (Funmilayo Fabiyi)
• Exploring knowledge and perceptions of parents/caregivers towards social determinants of health in accessing malaria treatment for children under five years in Nigeria (Nafiu Sabiu Usman)
• Pre-migration expectations and post-migration realities: Impact on the mental health and well-being of Nigerian International postgraduate students in the United Kingdom (Joy Osifo)
• Access and utilisation of maternal health services among women with disabilities in India: A mixed-method study (Divya Vinnakota)
• Investigating inequity in the utilisation of maternal health services among women with disabilities in Nepal: A mixed-method study (Prakash Shahi)
• Exploring the motivation of surgeons to lead juniors and the impact of their leadership on junior doctors’ motivation and leadership preference (Ramy Elzahhar)
• Impact of Early Childhood Development Interventions on Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factors: A Follow-Up Study on a Cluster Randomised Trial in rural India (Shital Telrandhe)

Completed PhD Students:

• Type 1 Diabetes and Work (Emma Shiel)
• An exploration of preferences for risk communication among people with cardiovascular disease (Maryam Ibrahim)
• Exploring factors responsible for the low level of skilled birth attendants in the North East region of Nigeria (Sidi Ali Mohammed)
• Ageing well in Nepal? Exploring the health and social care needs of older adults: A qualitative study in the Dhading district of Nepal (Laxmi Timalsina)

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Last updated 23rd March 2026