A5023656300- Global Maternal and Child Health
- Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Maternal and fetal healthcare
- Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
- Child and Adolescent Health
- Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Health disparities and outcomes
- Emergency and Acute Care Studies
- Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
- Primary Care and Health Outcomes
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations
- Intimate Partner and Family Violence
- Birth, Development, and Health
- Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Breastfeeding Practices and Influences
- Public Health Policies and Education
- Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology
- Iron Metabolism and Disorders
- International Human Rights and Reproductive Law
- Trauma and Emergency Care Studies
Air University
2020-2025
Allama Iqbal Medical College
2019-2022
Human Development Research Foundation
2014-2020
Karachi Medical and Dental College
2020
Health Services Academy
2013-2019
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
2018
Riphah International University
2012
The Thinking Healthy Programme (THP) is an evidence-based psychological intervention endorsed by the World Health Organization, tailored for non-specialist health workers in low- and middle-income countries. However, training supervision of large numbers a major challenge scale-up THP. We developed 'Technology-Assisted Cascaded Training Supervision system' (TACTS) THP consisting application cascaded delivered from distance.A single-blind, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial was...
Background: One in five women suffer from anxiety during pregnancy. Untreated is a risk factor for postnatal depression and associated with adverse birth outcomes. Despite the high prevalence of prenatal low- middle-income countries (LMICs), efforts to develop evaluate context-specific interventions these settings are lacking. We aimed culturally appropriate, feasible, acceptable psychological intervention perinatal context low-income population Pakistan. Methods: conducted this research...
Maternal psychosocial well‐being (MPW) is a wide‐ranging concept that encompasses the psychological (e.g., mental health, distress, anxiety, depression, coping, problem solving) and social family community support, empowerment, culture) aspects of motherhood. Evidence‐based MPW interventions can be integrated into large‐scale maternal child health programs have not been developed. Building on several years research in Pakistan, we developed cognitive behavioral therapy–based intervention...
OBJECTIVE: To test the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral counseling on rate and duration exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) during first 6 months an infant’s life compared with routine counseling. METHODS: A single blind cluster-randomized controlled trial was undertaken in 40 Union Councils a rural district northwest province Pakistan between May 2009 April 2010. By simple unmatched randomization, 20 were each allocated to intervention control arms. Two hundred twenty-four third trimester...
Undernutrition and inadequate stimulation both negatively influence child health development have a long‐term impact on school attainment income. This paper reports data from India Pakistan looking at how families interact, play with, feed children; their expectations of growth development; the perceived benefits, consequences, opportunities, barriers adopting recommended feeding developmental behaviors. These were collected as part formative research for Sustainable Program Incorporating...
For every woman who dies during pregnancy and childbirth, many more suffer ill-health, the burden of which is highest in low-resource settings. We sought to assess extent types maternal morbidity.Descriptive observational cross-sectional study at primary-level secondary-level healthcare facilities India, Pakistan, Kenya Malawi physical, psychological social morbidity after pregnancy. Sociodemographic factors, education, socioeconomic status (SES), quality life, satisfaction with health,...
Introduction Prenatal anxiety is a prevalent condition that harmful for women and strong predictor of postpartum depression. This trial assesses an intervention initiated in early pregnancy to mid among with clinical or subclinical symptoms Pakistan. Methods analysis Happy Mother, Healthy Baby (HMHB) phase three, two-arm, single-blind, individual randomised conducted the outpatient department Holy Family Hospital, large public tertiary care facility affiliated Rawalpindi Medical University...
Introduction Almost 250 million children fail to achieve their full growth or developmental potential, trapping them in a cycle of continuing disadvantage. Strong evidence exists that parent-focussed face interventions can improve outcomes; the challenge is delivering these on wide scale. SPRING (Sustainable Programme Incorporating Nutrition and Games) aimed address this by developing feasible affordable programme monthly home visits community-based workers (CWs) testing two different...
Background Mental health remains among the top 10 leading causes of disease burden globally, and there is a significant treatment gap due to limited resources, stigma, accessibility, low perceived need for treatment. Problem Management Plus, World Health Organization–endorsed brief psychological intervention mental disorders, has been shown be effective cost-effective in various countries globally but faces implementation challenges, such as quality control training, supervision, delivery....
Severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are rare but serious complications of pregnancy that threaten the lives mothers during childbirth. Evidence supports use magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) as first line treatment option for severe eclampsia. Eclampsia is third major cause maternal mortality in Pakistan. As many other Low- Middle-Income Countries (LMIC), it suspected MgSO4 critically under-utilized country. There however a lack information on context-specific health system barriers prevent optimal...
Rates of perinatal depression in low and middle income countries are reported to be very high. Perinatal not only has profound impact on women's health, disability functioning, it is associated with poor child health outcomes such as pre-term birth, under-nutrition stunting, which ultimately have an adverse trans-generational impact. There strong evidence the medical literature that can effectively managed psychological treatments delivered by non-specialists. Our previous research Pakistan...
Violence against women is an international public health concern and a violation of women’s rights. Domestic violence can first occur, increase in frequency severity, during after pregnancy. Healthcare providers have the potential to identify support who experience domestic violence. We sought investigate knowledge perceptions among doctors provide routine antenatal postnatal care at healthcare facilities Pakistan. In addition, we explored possible management options from policy makers,...
Background For more accurate estimation of the global burden pregnancy associated disease, clarity is needed on definition and assessment non-severe maternal morbidity. Our study aimed to define morbidity with clear criteria for identification at primary care level estimate distribution evaluate associations between physical (infective non-infective) psychological morbidities in two different low-income countries. Methods Cross sectional early (34%), late (35%) postnatal period (31%) among...
Traditional birth attendants in Pakistan sometimes use a homeopathic remedy, Chamomilla for labor pain relief. Our study compares this remedy relief with commonly used parenteral analgesic hospital setting. No systematic has been conducted previously to the effect of chamomile, which may be affordable and available community settings. A double blind randomized controlled trial was carried out at Islamic International Medical College Trust. Ninety-nine normal pregnant women were randomly...
Maternal morbidity affects millions of women, the burden which is highest in low resource settings. We sought to explore when this ill-health occurs and most significant.A descriptive observational cross-sectional study at primary secondary-level healthcare facilities India, Pakistan, Kenya Malawi.Women attending for routine antenatal care, childbirth or postnatal care facilities.Physical (infectious, medical, obstetrical), psychological social comorbidity were assessed five stages: first...
Objectives: With the application of a systems thinking lens, we aimed to assess national COVID-19 response across health components in Switzerland, Spain, Iran, and Pakistan. Methods: We conducted four case studies on policy early phase pandemic. Selected countries include different system typologies. collected data prospectively for period January-July 2020 17 measures recommended by WHO that encompassed all domains (governance, financing, workforce, information, medicine technology service...
Incorporating evidence is fundamental to maintaining the general acceptance and efficiency in public policies. In Pakistan, different actors—local global—strive facilitate development of evidence-informed health Effective involvement however, requires knowledge country-context, i.e. knowing intricacies how policies are formulated Pakistan. Obtaining this one key steps making interventions impactful. We carried out a qualitative study explore environment policy The involved 89 participants...
Introduction There is limited evidence from low and middle-income settings on the effectiveness of early child development interventions at scale. To bridge this knowledge-gap we implemented SPRING home visiting program where tested integrating visits into an existing government (Pakistan) employing a new cadre intervention workers (India). We report findings process evaluation which aimed to understand implementation. Methods materials collected qualitative data acceptability barriers...
Objective To explore what women consider health and ill to be, in general, during after pregnancy. Women’s views on how approach screening for mental social morbidities were also explored. Settings Public hospitals New Delhi, India Islamabad, Pakistan. Participants 130 attending routine antenatal or postnatal care at the study healthcare facilities. Interventions Data collection was conducted using focus group discussions key informant interviews. Transcribed interviews coded by topic...