With a background in molecular biology and public health policy, Azrul has worked as a development and programme policy specialist for more than 21 years. He has extensive experience working on issues related to health systems, sexual reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, gender-based violence, and humanitarian assistance.

Azrul is a technical consultant who is often called on to provide technical assistance and support in the development of strategic policies and high-level reports for government and international agencies. He is the author of two of Malaysia’s UNGASS Country Progress Reports on HIV and AIDS (2008 & 2010) and was the lead writer of the National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS 2010 – 2015 for Malaysia. He was also the writer for Chapter 3 of Malaysia’s 2021 Voluntary National Review on the SDGs.

Azrul is currently the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy.  His previous positions have been with the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS); the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF); representing the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Azrul has also worked with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Malaysian AIDS Council.

He is also co-founder of the CodeBlue health news website.