The CSC is proud to present our next individual impact case study in our ongoing series highlighting the achievements and impacts Commonwealth Alumni around the world.
This study features Fahmida Akter, a researcher committed to addressing malnutrition, food security, and diet-related non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh and beyond. Fahmida was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to complete an MSc in Global Food Security and Development at Nottingham Trent University.
For her Master’s research, Fahmida studied indigenous approaches to farming in Bangladesh, with a focus on Southern Bangladesh where the monsoon season results in the land being flooded for six or seven months of the year. Indigenous farmers have long found ways to cultivate crops in these conditions. Fahmida was fascinated by this approach, which inspired her research into ‘dhap’, also known as floating farming. Indigenous farmers use aquatic weeds to create floating beds, which can be used to germinate seeds and grow leafy vegetables when the land is flooded. In June and July of 2019, Fahmida visited 14 districts of Bangladesh and undertook primary data collection to study this indigenous farming practice and its transferability to other regions. Fahmida’s research on dhap has been recognised internationally, and in 2024 she presented her work at the Global Food Security Conference in Belgium, a prestigious forum for leading experts in the field of food security. Fahmida credits the CSC with the progress she has made as a researcher:
‘As a researcher, CSC has broadened my thought process, scope, and scale of work. If I had to summarise its impact in one line, this would be the most significant change. Additionally, I feel more confident both personally and professionally, and as a researcher, I am now more competent than before CSC’.
Since her graduation, Fahmida has gone on to work as a Senior Researcher for the BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health in the Centre for Non-Communicable Disease and Nutrition. In this role, she worked as the Project Coordinator on a project entitled ‘Implementing the World Health Organisation’s framework for working with individuals, families, and communities (IFC) to improve maternal and newborn health in Bangladesh’. This project focused on engaging families and communities to improve maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH). As the Project Coordinator, Fahmida was involved at every stage of this project. This included managing the operational elements of the research, processing all relevant documentation, evaluating the impact of the work, and disseminating the findings of the project. As a result of her research, BRAC have restructured their approach to supporting mothers and children in Bangladesh. Fahmida considers her work on maternal, newborn and child health to be the most impactful change that she has contributed to her community:
‘The project also strengthens healthcare providers and establishes community action groups to ensure accountability and advocacy for maternal health rights and respectful care. My contributions span operational research, process documentation, and impact evaluation, shaping interventions based on findings. Seeing real change in healthcare providers and communities has been deeply rewarding, making this project a testament to the impact of evidence-driven interventions.’
Beyond her work on MNCH, Fahmida has also advocated for the adoption of evidence-based policy recommendations in relation to edible oil. In Bangladesh, the quality of edible oil was variable, with oils containing inconsistent levels of trans-fats, toxic heavy metals, and essential vitamins. Fahmida and her team studied this and provided evidence that helped shape Bangladesh’s trans-fat policy. This policy limits trans-fat to a maximum level of 2% of the total fat in oils, which is predicted to reduce the prevalence of diet-linked non-communicable diseases like heart disease.
In the future, Famida hopes to pursue a PhD. She will continue to advocate for the use of evidence-based research in the development of policies and programmes, and she hopes this will lead to healthier communities and more resilient food systems.
Fahmida’s work supports the CSC Development theme of Strengthening Health Systems and Capacity. Her work also contributes to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing, SDG 13 – Climate Action, and SDG 15 – Life on Land.
