He holds a master's degree in epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and a PhD in public health from the University of Manchester.
His appointment was welcomed by the medical profession because the post is normally given to a political appointee.
[2] In this position, he has led various initiatives including the provision of a National Health Insurance Program designed to cover a population of over 100 million people.
[1] From 2015, Hafeez represented Pakistan on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization for a four-year term, being elected Vice-Chairman of the Board in May that year and becoming Chairman two years later.
[1] Hafeez has published more than 60 articles in peer-reviewed journals and is the author of, or a contributor to, a number of books and monographs on public health.