Zubia Mumtaz, MBBS, MPH, PhD
Contact
Professor, School of Public Health
- zmumtaz@ualberta.ca
- Phone
- (780) 492-7709
- Address
-
3-309 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy
11405 87 Ave NWEdmonton ABT6G 1C9
- zubia.mumtaz@ualberta.ca
Overview
About
My work is centered in the area of global maternal and reproductive health, with a focus on developing innovative solutions and programs to address the problem of high maternal mortality in low and middle-income countries. My research program aims to:
1) Document how multiple and interlocking axis of inequity - gender, poverty and social exclusion - converge to place some groups of women in socially marginalized positions.
2) Develop an understanding of how these inequities are related to the chronic nature of marginalized women's excessive risk of reproductive health morbidity and mortality.
3) Assess the performance of health systems in their delivery of maternal/reproductive health services. In partnerships with governments and non-governmental organizations, I conduct implementation research, to assess the quality of services (of both community-based programs and facility-based), coverage, and the challenges of scaling up delivery of services, especially to remote, rural populations.
Degrees
PhD, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 2003
MPH, Harvard School of Public Health, 1996
MBBS, Aga Khan University, 1988
Awards
Member, Royal Society of Canada
Killam Annual Professor, 2016-2017
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) Population Health Investigator Award, 2010-2017
Gender, Globalization and Health Fellowship, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 2007-2010
Commonwealth Scholarship, Commonwealth Association, 1999-2002
DAAD Academic Scholarship, 1996
Keywords
Global health
Reproductive and maternal health
Gender and class inequities
Social determinants of health
Health systems and maternal health policy
Community health workers and midwives
Quantitative, qualitative research methods
Mixed methods research
Partnerships
Collaborations with governments:
- Policy and Strategic Planning Unit, Government of Punjab, Pakistan
- Reproductive Health Directorate, Federal Ministry of Health, Government of Malawi
- Integrated Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn & Child Health and Nutrition Program, Punjab Pakistan
- Quality Improvement Directorate, Federal Ministry of Health, Government of Malawi
Collaborations with academic institutions:
- University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
- University of Malawi, Malawi
- Columbia University, United States
Collaborations with non-governmental organizations:
- Real Medicine Foundation, Pakistan
- Amref Health Africa, Kenya
Announcements
Supervision
Currently accepting MSc and PhD students interested in Global Health.
Courses
MACE 503 - Methods of Community Based Research
An introduction to research which broadly includes quantitative, qualitative, Indigenous methods and mixed methods. Research design, formulating community partnerships, formulating research questions, selecting appropriate methods, sampling, data analysis and knowledge mobilization will be included. This course is designed as a seminar, while some classes will be structured, the intent is for participants to learn from each other's experiences and research examples.
SPH 503 - Introduction to Health Promotion Research
Foundations of basic and applied research in health promotion. Consideration is given to a broad range of research strategies including qualitative and quantitative methods. Emphasis is on a critical understanding of why, when, and how to apply different research strategies to answer specific health promotion questions. Pre or corequisite: SPH 501. Students with insufficient background in undergraduate statistics will be required to complete a qualifying course in this area. Note: Credit may not be obtained for both HPS 503 and SPH 503.
SPH 542 - Problem-Solving in Global Health Practice
This course will help students acquire and build conceptual tools and approaches to equip them for effective global health practice in low-income countries. It will draw on case material from diverse program experience, particularly in maternal-child heath. Note: Credit may not be obtained for both PHS 542 and SPH 542.
SPH 555 - Foundations of Public Health Research
The aim of this course is for students to gain competencies in three areas: determinants of health and strategies to address these; ontologies, epistemologies and research designs relevant to public health research; knowledge mobilization and engaged scholarship. Sessions will usually comprise introductory interactive presentations and small/large group discussions. Class time and assignments are aimed at enhancing students' understanding, critical analysis and application of key concepts and selected issues related to Public Health, research methods used in Public Health and Knowledge translation.
SPH 641 - Global Health Project Development
This introductory course to global health project development familiarizes students with the logical frame planning approach. This planning method is a must by many international development agencies, e.g. the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the World Bank and many others. Through various stages of problem analysis, objective analysis and the development of the logical frame with planning indictors and assumptions, course participants learn how to apply this method in the context of a developing country. Prerequisite: Permission of the Instructor. Note: Credit may not be obtained for both PHS 641 and SPH 641.
Scholarly Activities
Research - Addressing barriers adolescent girls encounter in schools during menstruation: The Sindh experience
Co-Principal Investigator with Marni Sommer (Columbia University, USA)
Funded by UNICEF
Research - Global Pathways to Medical Abortion
2017 to 2018
Co-Investigator
Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Research - Improving the Standards Based Management–Recognition Initiative to provide high quality, equitable maternal health services in Malawi
2015 to 2020
Canadian Principal Investigator with Ellen Chirwa (Malawian PI) and Fannie Kachale (policymaker Co-PI)
Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and International Development Research Centre
Research - Scaling up the 24/7 Basic Health Unit strategy to provide round the clock maternity care in Punjab, Pakistan: A theory-driven implementation study
2018 to 2022
Co-Principal Investigator with Sarah Salway (University of Sheffield, UK)
Funded by the Medical Research Council, UK
Research - Social risk factors for preterm births in newcomer women in Alberta - a qualitative exploratory study
Featured Publications
Mumtaz, Z, Ferguson A, Bhatti, A and Salway, S
Social Science and Medicine. 2017 January;
Mumtaz, Z
Lancet Global Health. 2017 January;
Mumtaz, Z, Levay, A, Bhatti, A and Salway, S
British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2015 January; 122 (2):251-258
Mumtaz, Z, Salway, S, Bhatti A, Shanner L, Zaman S and Laing, L
American Journal of Public Health. 2014 January; 104 (S17-S24)
Mumtaz, Z, Nykiforuk, C, Bhatti A, Atahullah, A, Salway, S
Social Science and Medicine. 2013 January; 91
Mumtaz, Z and Salway, S
Social Science and Medicine. 2009 January; 68 (7):1349-56