Professor Hitoshi Murakami

Speciality / Research theme / Keywords

Epidemiology, Cross-sectional study, Stratified cluster sampling survey, Qualitative method, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Supervision

Qualifications

PhD (Medicine), Master of Public Health, Bachelor of Medicine

Affiliation(s)

Assistant Director General, Department of Human Resource Development, Bureau of International Health Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Japan

Background

Education

• 2004: Completed PhD course at Department of Community and Global Health, the University of Tokyo
• 1993: Graduated from MPH course at Harvard School of Public Health
• 1987: Graduated from School of Medicine, Tsukuba University

Teaching

• 2012-2014: Quantitative social study (Department of International Health Development, Nagasaki University)
• 2014-2015: Stratified cluster sampling survey (Young leaders program, Nagoya University)

Research

• Topic: revolving drug fund; Conducted an action research on revolving drug fund in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR.
• Topic: Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI); Working as program managers in Lao PDR, China and Vietnam and conducted epidemiological and operational research on EPI.
• Topic: Great East Japan Earthquake (health impact); Analyzed household survey data including blood pressure collected by public health nurses and explored association with inundation depths and other covariates such as ambient temperature.
• Topic: Dengue fever epidemiology in Viet Nam; Conducted a stratified cluster sampling household survey on prevalence and risk factors of dengue infection in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam.
• Topic: COVID-19 and serious psychological distress (SPD) among population affected by relative poverty; Conducted an online cross-sectional survey of those affected by relative poverty to explore the prevalence of SPD and its risk factors. Also conducted in-depth interviews of people affected by relative poverty and suffered SDP, and analyzed the transcripts with qualitative method (thematic approach).

The country/countries where you work currently

Japan and Vietnam

Five MOST IMPORTANT/INTERESTING recent publications

1. Murakami H, Kanda M, Sawayanagi T. Serious psychological distress and coronavirus disease 2019 impact among population affected by relative poverty in Japan: An online cross-sectional study. Minerva Psychiatry. 2024; 65(1):28-36.
2. Matsuoka S, Kawakatsu Y, Koga S, Ayeola N, Iwayemi V, Saito C, Murakami H, Hachiya M. Underlying causes of underutilization of maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) services in Africa: A survey from Lagos State, Nigeria. Global Health and Medicine. 2020
3. Mai VQ, Mai TTX, Tam NLM, Nghia LT, Komadae K, Murakami H. Prevalence and risk factors of dengue infection in Khanh Hoa Province, Viet Nam: A stratified cluster sampling survey. Journal of Epidemiology. 2018.
4. Murakami H, Kobayashi M, Hachiya M, Khan ZS, Hassan SQ, Sakurada S. Refusal of oral polio vaccine in northwestern Pakistan: A qualitative and quantitative study. Vaccine. 2014; 32(12):1382-1387.
5. Murakami H, Akashi H, Noda S, Mizoue T, Okazaki O, Ouchi Y, Okaji Y, Kajiwara C, Miyoshi C. A cross-sectional survey of blood pressure of a coastal city’s resident victims of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami. American Journal of Hypertension. 2013; 26(6):799-807.

Message

Global health disparity is a big barrier in a way towards sustainable development of the world. It is imperative to implement health development programs that is based upon scientific evidence. I hope that students of TMGH combine science and practice, and follow a carrier path of global health.