Dr. Salah Al Awaidy is a medical doctor, and holds a Masters in Epidemiology with current post of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control Adviser to the office of the Undersecretary of Health Affairs at the Ministry of Health, Oman. He currently advises on eradication, elimination and control of communicable diseases of public health importance, in addition to the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), vaccine supply chain system and International Health Regulations.
From 1997 to 2012, Dr. Al Awaidy held the post of Director of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control, MOH, Oman.
He played a pivotal role in reducing the national under five mortality and morbidity, preparedness, management and control of infectious diseases like SARS, avian influenza, pH1N1 and in establishing national communicable diseases, AEFI and Rotavirus surveillance, as well as in the eradication of Polio, Measles, Rubella, CRS and leprosy in Oman. In addition, he played a fundamental role in reducing mortality and morbidity of vaccine-preventable diseases for pediatric, adolescence and adult populations.
Under his leadership, Oman achieved Polio-free, Measles-free, Rubella-free, Dranculosis-free and CRS-free status, neonatal tetanus elimination and control and near elimination of Hepatitis B and other VPDs like TB and Schistosomiasis. Oman received the first ever certification that the Central Vaccine Store fulfilled all the criteria expected of WHO/UNICEF in 2003 and 2004. As a result, Oman has achieved and maintained almost 99% immunization coverage regionally and nationally. In June 2012, he was honoured by the CDC as the highest achieving person in Oman. In the international arena, Dr. Al Awaidy has represented a number of important global advisory groups, namely the TAG on Poliomyelitis Eradication in Pakistan & Afghanistan since 2013, Advisory Group on Immunization (SAGE), WHO Geneva (2005-2007), Strategic Advisory Group on Vaccine and Store Management Training Courses (2005-2008), Strategic TB Advisory Board (2007-2011), the AIDS Regional Advisory Group (ARAG), EMRO since 2005 and he has been a member of the GAVI Independent Review Committee since 2014. He also currently serves on the IHR Emergency Committee on Polio and MERS-CoV. He has been a member of the polio Transient Independent Monitoring Board (TIMB) and Polio RTAG as well as a member of the regional verification commission for Hepatitis B control, the EU diabetes and influenza group, the Global Task Team of Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Response WHO, HQ, -2020-till date and Global Task Team of Influenza disease burden-2019-till date WHO, HQ as well as chairperson forME’NA-ISN association.