Fathimath Zimna is an Associate Lecturer with over 17 years of experience in higher education, training, and curriculum design, with expertise in project management and healthcare collaboration.
Ms. Fathimath Zimna has been serving as an associate lecturer at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Maldives National University since December 2009. Zimna holds a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory sciences from the Maldives National University and a Master of Public Administration from Cyryx College, Maldives. She has served as the head of COVID19 laboratories from the inception of the National Health Emergency Centre in 2020 and continued the work until the 30th of October 2022. The main responsibilities include coordinating and streamlining all processes related to COVID19 testing and development, and the establishment of COVID19 testing facilities.
Her core interest areas center on research and policy advocacy addressing critical issues linked to climate and just transition. This includes a strong emphasis on the intersection of Occupational Safety and Health, the reinforcement of social security and protection systems, and the defense of labor rights amid the climate emergency. This includes protecting wages and improving working conditions for healthcare workers and promoting safe staffing ratios to strengthen the overall healthcare system.

Master of Public Administration, Cyryx College, Male’, Maldives, 2022
Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, Maldives National University, Male’, Maldives, 2016

Infectious Diseases, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)
Antimicrobial Resistance
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
Public Policy
Labor Migration
Climate Justice
Labor and Employment Management

• Project on Strengthening healthcare workforce capacity through global learning (SCALE) in collaboration with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation (NHCT), United Kingdom. 2025 till date.
Role: Project Lead

• Project (P173801) under the emergency response and health systems preparedness (MV-MOH-277371-CS-CDS) to conduct infection prevention and control training for healthcare workers across the Maldives, 2021-2022.
Role: Project Lead

• Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among Health Workers of Addu Equatorial Hospital: Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors. (URG-2024-C1-L-AS13). 2024 till date.
Role: Co-investigator.

• Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in females, aged 18-35 years in Male, Maldives, under the Research Grant of Maldives National University, URG-2024-C1-LA16 (2024 – till date)
Role: Co-investigator.

• Survey on the prevalence of G6PD in the Maldives
Role: Co-investigator

• Public attitudes towards migrant workers among Maldivians residing in the Greater Male’ region, A project submitted as partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of Master of Public Administration, Cyryx College, 2022.
Role: Principal Investigator

No Supervision

o Clinical Chemistry
o Infectious Diseases, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), and Antimicrobial Resistance.
o Transfusion Science

FHS News Letter Term 11 2025
The Impact of Climate Change on Human Health: The Role of Air Pollution in Immune
Dysfunction and Disease

1. Board Member, Minimum Wage advisory Board, 2021-2023 and 2024 to date.
Board Established Under Employment Act, 2008/2.
2. Elected Executive Board Member, Representing South Asia at Public Services International (PSI), for the term 2023-2028.
3. Health and Social Services(HSS) Task Force Coordinating Committee of Public Services International(PSI) representing the Asia Pacific Region, 2026 to date.
4. National Technical Sub-Committee on Infection Prevention and Control(IPC) and Optimization of Antimicrobial Use, 2025 to date
5. Women’s Committee Member of International Trade Union Congress (ITUC), for the term 2022-2026.
6. Committee member, Economic Empowerment Technical Committee, Ministry of Social and Family Development, 2024 – 2025
7. Board Member, National Tripartite Labor Advisory Board, July 2024- May 2025
Board established under Industrial Relations Act, 2024/1.
8. Member of Workers Group, Standard- Setting Committee on Biological Hazards, 112th International Labor Conference, 2024.
9. Member of Faculty Management Committee, Faculty of Health Science, MNU, 2021-2022, & 2025 to date.
10. Technical Member, Maldives Genomic Surveillance Project?, “Strengthening Maldives Capacity for Advanced and Genomic Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)”?, Maldives Food and Drug Authority & World Health Organization, 2026 to date.

1. Delegate to High-Level Political Forum (2023) of United Nations from International Trade Union Congress (ITUC), UN HQ, New York.
2. Worker Delegate to International Labor Conference, 2023 and 2024, UN HQ, Geneva.
3. Panelist at side event of High-Level Political Forum (2023) of UN titled Just Transitions for All: Achieving Climate and Social Justice, UN HQ, New York.
4. Panelist at World Youth Skills Day event of UN titled Skilling Teachers, Trainers, and Youth for a Transformative Future (2023), UN HQ, New York.
5. Panelist at the National Occupational Safety and Health Forum, 2024, organized by Maldives Airports Company Limited.
6. Developed National Certification Level 111 curriculum on Phlebotomy, for Maldives Polytechnic, 2019.
7. Member of the Technical Panel for evaluation of National Competency Standard for National Certificate 3 and 4 in School Lab Technologist, Ministry of Higher Education, Skills and Labor.
8. Co-facilitator of the IPC session conducted at Hdh. Kulhudhuffushi under the project, Contract No: MV-MOH-277371-CS-CDS.
9. Collaborated with Sri Lanka Intensive Care Nurses Association (SLICNA) and Sri Lanka Nurses Association (SLNA) to conduct an international CME session on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in Sri Lanka, Colombo, 2023 & 2024.
10. Organized and Conducted multiple awareness and advocacy session on Occupational Safety and Health(OSH), in Collaboration with key stakeholders.
11. Invited Lecture on Workplace Safety and Health for students enrolled in Organizational Psychology for Bachelor of Psychology Students, 2025.
12. Intervention at the strategic dialogue session with the co-facilitators of the second world summit for social development(2nd WSSD), International Labor Conference, 2024.
13. Plenary Speech at the 112th International Labor Conference, 2024.
14. Plenary speech at the 111th International Labor Conference, 2023.
15. Panelist at the panel discussion organized by Maldives Police Services to mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, 2024.
16. Member of the organizing team of National Public Health Conference titled Advancing Migrant Health in the Maldives: Equitable Access, Reduced Vulnerabilities, 2025. Co-hosted by Maldives National University(MNU) and Health Protection Agency(HPA).
17. Member of the the organizing team, of the International Conference titled “Biotechnology for Better Tomorrow” (BTBT 2020)”, Co-hosted by Maldives National University and Microbiology Society of India.
18. Concept paper development and co-facilitation of the break-out session on Occupational Safety and Health and Living conditions of migrant population at the Public Health Conference 2025: Advancing Migrant Health in the Maldives: Equitable Access, Reduced Vulnerabilities.
19. Panel Moderator and concept development for plenary panel discussion titled, “Barriers to accessing quality healthcare for migrant population in the Maldives(legal, social and economic constraints), at the Public Health Conference 2025: Advancing Migrant Health in the Maldives: Equitable Access, Reduced Vulnerabilities, organized by MNU and HPA.
20. Panel moderator, for thematic side event, “Fighting Privatization”, at the 15th Asia Pacific Regional Conference(APRECON), of Public Services International(PSI).
21. Panel Moderator, for thematic side event, “Health and Social Services: mechanisms and ways to engage with the multilateral system to overcome the challenges in the global health systems”, at the 15th Asia Pacific Regional Conference(APRECON), of Public Services International(PSI).
22. Co-producer of Television program, “HEYRIYA”, intended to create awareness around intersections between labor, health systems, climate justice, and social and economic policies, aired from NTV, Maldives.
23. Speaker at the Medical Sciences Seminar Session, titled “The Impact of Climate Change on Human Health: The Role of Air Pollution in Immune Dysfunction and Disease”, 2025.
24. Speaker at the Medical Sciences Seminar Session, titled “Role of Vitamin D in Extra Muscular- Skeletal Health”, 2021.

1. Co- Founder member of Professional Association for Laboratory Sciences, Maldives (PALS- Maldives), an association to promote the Medical Laboratory Sciences.
2. Co- Founder member of Maldives Health Professionals Union (MHPU), a trade union representing Healthcare Workers of Maldives.
3. Elected Executive board member of Public Services International(PSI), 2023-2028

– Chairman’s Award for Top Achievement, Master of Public Administration, Cyryx College, 2025.
– Awarded the Summer School Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU),
University of Greenwich in London, UK (2025).
– Awarded the Global Labor Leadership Initiative (GLLI), Cornell University, USA & US Solidarity Centre (2024- 2025).

1. Organized and Conducted multiple awareness and advocacy session on Occupational Safety and Health(OSH) regulatory framework and protection of workers in Collaboration with key stakeholders.
2. Collaborated with Sri Lanka Intensive Care Nurses Association (SLICNA) and Sri Lanka Nurses Association (SLNA) to conduct an international CME session on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in Sri Lanka, Colombo, 2023 & 2024.
3. Co-producer of Television program, “HEYRIYA”, intended to create awareness around intersections between labor, health systems, climate justice, and social and economic policies, aired from NTV, Maldives.
4. Organizer and Co-facilitator of Stress and Time management session for Gr.10 Students of Rehendi School, Hulhumale’ , Maldives, 2021.
5. Steered the development and operation of COVID19- testing laboratories, COVID19, pandemic. A volunteer service to the National Health Emergency Operations Centre(NEOC) and Health Emergency Operations Centre(HEOC), 2020 – 2022.
6. Participation in the development and conducting activities carried in the Project on Strengthening healthcare workforce capacity through global learning (SCALE): Strengthening Antimicrobial Resistance(AMR) surveillance and Stewardship in Regional Hospitals of the Maldives, in collaboration with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation (NHCT), United Kingdom. 2025 till date.
7. Submitted policy paper to the Minimum Wage advisory Board 2021, and played an active role as board member in shaping the first minimum wage of the country.
8. Competency Exam Paper
9. Technical Contribution as a Member, Maldives Genomic Surveillance Project?, “Strengthening Maldives Capacity for Advanced and Genomic Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)”?, Maldives Food and Drug Authority & World Health Organization, 2026 to date.