Publications by authors named "Shazra Abbas"

Article Synopsis
  • In sub-Saharan Africa, pregnant and postpartum women with mental health issues often go unrecognized in healthcare, highlighting the need for a simple screening tool to aid primary healthcare workers.
  • A comprehensive review of existing mental health screening tools revealed that the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were commonly used, with 62% of studies focusing on depression during pregnancy or postpartum.
  • EPDS showed promising results with an average sensitivity of 75.5% and specificity of 76.5%, indicating it is a practical and effective choice for screening maternal mental health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Obstetric fistula develops from obstructed labor and is a devastating condition with significant consequences across several domains of a woman's life. This study presents a narrative review of the evidence on the economic consequences of obstetric fistula.

Methods: Three databases were searched, and search results were limited to English language papers published after 2003.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Fractures pose serious health and socioeconomic consequences for individuals, their families, and societies more broadly. In many low-resource settings, case fatality and long-term sequelae after a fracture remain high due to individual- and system-level barriers affecting timely access to care. This scoping review explored the burden of fractures in Malawi using long bone fracture (LBF) as a case study by examining the epidemiology of these injuries, their consequences, and the accessibility of quality healthcare.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Non-adherence to treatment is a frequently observed phenomenon amongst those on long-term treatment for chronic illnesses. This qualitative study draws upon the tenets of 'practice theory' to reveal what shapes patients' ability to adhere to the demanding treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) at three treatment sites in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan.

Methods: This qualitative study involved observation of service provision over a period of nine months of stay at, and embedment within the three treatment sites and in-depth interviews with 13 service providers and 22 patients who became non-adherent to their treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Pregnancy and postpartum-related mental health problems pose serious public health threat to the society, but worryingly, neglected in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This review will assess the burden and distribution of maternal mental health (MMH) problems in SSA, with the aim to inform the implementation of context sensitive interventions and policies.

Methods And Analysis: All relevant databases, grey literature and non-database sources will be searched.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: HIV is an epidemic quite unlike any other, combining the problems of a lifelong medical disease with immense social, psychological, economic and public health consequences. Since we are living in a global village where human interactions has become fast and frequent, diseases like HIV are no more alien to us. HIV/AIDS in Pakistan is slowly gaining recognition as a public health issue of great importance.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF