Wafa's PhD focuses on creating a systematic approach for setting priorities for intersectoral actions for population health and well-being. Her thesis will go into economics, ethics, and political economy aspects of prioritizing intersectoral actions. She is also exploring related issues as a Takemi Fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health for the academic year 2023-24. 

Teaching Fellow - ID 250: Ethical Basis of the Practice of Public Health (Autumn 2023) at the Harvard School of Public Health

Academic article

• Khan, Mishal; Noor, Muhammad Naveed; Rahman-Shepherd, Afifah et al. (2025). Doctors taking bribes from pharmaceutical companies is common and not substantially reduced by an educational intervention: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial in Pakistan. (external link)
• Khan, Mishal; Rahman-Shepherd, Afifah; Noor, Muhammad Naveed et al. (2023). Incentivisation practices and their influence on physicians’ prescriptions: A qualitative analysis of practice and policy in Pakistan. (external link)

Academic literature review

• Siddiqi, Sameen; Aftab, Wafa; Venkat Raman, Raman et al. (2023). The role of the private sector in delivering essential packages of health services: Lessons from country experiences. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

1. Siddiqi S, Aftab W, Raman VA, Soucat A, Alwan A. The role of the private sector in delivering essential packages of health services: lessons from country experiences. BMJ Global Health. [in-press]

2. Aftab W, Khan M, Rego S, Chavan N, Rahman-Shepherd A, Sharma I, Wu S, Zeinali Z, Hasan R, Siddiqi S. Variations in regulations to control standards for training and licensing of physicians: a multi-country comparison. Hum Resour Health. 2021 Jul 23;19(1):91.

3. Noor MN, Liverani M, Bryant J, Rahman-Shepherd A, Sharif S, Aftab W, Shakoor S, Khan M, Hasan R. The healthcare field as a marketplace: general practitioners, pharmaceutical companies, and profit-led prescribing in Pakistan. Health Sociol Rev. 2022 Nov 2:1-15. doi: 10.1080/14461242.2022.2139628.

4. Aftab W, Siddiqui FJ, Tasic H, Perveen S, Siddiqi S, Bhutta ZA. Implementation of health and health-related sustainable development goals: progress, challenges and opportunities - a systematic literature review. BMJ Glob Health. 2020 Aug;5(8):e002273

5. Bhutta ZA, Siddiqi S, Aftab W, Siddiqui FJ, Huicho L, Mogilevskii R, Mahmood Q, Friberg P, Akbari F. What will it take to implement health and health-related sustainable development goals? BMJ Glob Health. 2020 Sep;5(9):e002963.

6. Siddiqi S, Aftab W, Siddiqui FJ, Huicho L, Mogilevskii R, Friberg P, Lindgren-Garcia J, Causevic S, Khamis A, Shah MM, Bhutta ZA. Global strategies and local implementation of health and health-related SDGs: lessons from consultation in countries across five regions. BMJ Glob Health. 2020 Sep;5(9):e002859.

7. Khudadad U, Aftab W, Ali A, Khan NU, Razzak J, Siddiqi S. Perception of the healthcare professionals towards the current trauma and emergency care system in Kabul, Afghanistan: a mixed method study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2020 Oct 29;20(1):991.

8. Ariff S, Mir F, Aftab W, Raza F, Zaidi S, Memon S, LeFevre A, Bartlett LA, Winch P, Soofi SB, Bhutta ZA. Impact of local terminology on the design of a community-based diagnostic and management algorithm for postpartum sepsis: findings of formative research. Int Health. 2021 May 27:ihab030.

9. Khudadad U, Safi N, Aftab W, Ali A, Siddiqi S. The COVID-19 pandemic: an opportunity to strengthen health systems in Afghanistan. East Mediterr Health J. 2021 Mar 23;27(3):220-223.

10. Aftab W^†, Egli-Gany D^†, Hawkes S, Abbu-Raddad L, Buse K, Rabbani F, Low N, Onarheim K. The social and structural determinants of sexual health in migrants and refugees: a systematic review of reviews. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal. [In press]

11. Aftab W, Rabbani F, Sangrasi K, Perveen S, Zahidie A, Qazi S. Improving community health worker performance through supportive supervision: a randomised controlled implementation trial in Pakistan. Acta Paediatrica 2018, 107 (Suppl. 471), pp. 63–71.

12. Aftab W, Shipton L, Rabbani F, Sangrasi K, Perveen S, Zahidie A, Naeem I, Qazi S. 2018. Exploring health care seeking knowledge, perceptions and practices for childhood diarrhea and pneumonia and their context in a rural Pakistani community. BMC Health Services Research, 18, 44.

13. Buse K, Aftab W, Akhter S, et al. 2020. The state of diet-related NCD policies in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Tunisia and Vietnam: a comparative assessment that introduces a 'policy cube' approach. Health Policy Plan. 2020;czz175. doi:10.1093/heapol/czz175

14. Purdie A, Hawkes S, Buse K, Onarheim K, Aftab W, Low N, Tanaka S. 2020. Sex, gender and COVID-19: Disaggregated data and health disparities. BMJ Global Health blogs. Available at: t.ly/KBrD

15. Buse K, Aftab W, Akhter S, et al. Time to clarify State obligations and accountability on NCDs with human rights instruments BMJ Global Health 2019;4:e002155. https://gh.bmj.com/content/4/6/e002155

16. Onarheim KH, Egli-Gany D, Aftab W*. Occupational health outcomes among international migrant workers. Lancet Glob Health 2019;7(12):e1614.  

17. Siddiqi S, Iqbal M, Aftab W. Review of the governance of public sector hospitals in Pakistan: Lessons for the future. World Hospitals and Health Services. 2019;55(3):7-11

18. Feroz, A., Abbasi, I., Aftab, W., & Rabbani, F. (2018). Future of health policy & systems research: transitioning from millennium developmental goals to sustainable developmental goals for improving health. Pakistan Journal of Public Health, 7(4), 223-225. Https://doi.org/10.32413/pjph.v7i4.82

19. Rabbani F, Shipton L, Aftab W, Sangrasi K, Perveen S, Zahidie A. Inspiring health worker motivation with supportive supervision: a survey of lady health supervisor motivating factors in rural Pakistan. BMC health services research. 2016;16(1):397.

20. Zahidie A, Sangrasi K, Iqbal S, Perveen S, Aftab W, Rabbani F. Strengthening Health System: Using Mobile Phones for Coordinated Community Case Management of Childhood Diarrhea and Pneumonia in District Badin, Pakistan. Health Systems And Policy Research. 2016;2(3).

21. Rabbani, F., Naeem, I., Leah, S., Beenish, M., Aysha, Z., Kashif, S., Aftab, W, Shagufta, P., Ahmad, Q. (2016). Challenges in implementing a community based trial in a rural Pakistani district: lessons learnt from project NIGRAAN. Health Systems and Policy Research, 3(3), 1-8.

22. Rabbani F, Perveen S, Aftab W, et al. Health workers' perspectives, knowledge and skills regarding community case management of childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia: a qualitative inquiry for an implementation research project "Nigraan" in District Badin, Sindh, Pakistan. BMC Health Serv Res. 2016;16(1):462.

23. Rabbani F, Perveen S, Abbasi IN, Aftab W, Sangrasi K, Shipton L et al. Policy makers perceptions regarding the performance of the LHW Program: Is there a know do gap? Pakistan Journal of Public Health. 2015;5(4):30-4.

24. Feroz, A., Perveen, S., Aftab, W. (2017). "Role of mHealth applications for improving antenatal and postnatal care in low and middle income countries: a systematic review." BMC Health Services Research 17(1): 704.

25. Lassi ZS, Aftab W, Ariff S, Kumar R, Hussain I, Musavi NB, Memon Z, Soofi S, Bhutta ZA. Impact of service provision platforms on maternal and newborn health in conflict areas and their acceptability in Pakistan: a systematic review. Conflict and Health. 2015;9:25.

26. Sangrasi, K., Rabbani, F., Aftab, W., et al. (2016). Caregivers knowledge, practices about childhood diarrhea and pneumonia and their perceptions of lady health worker program; findings from NIGRAAN implementation research project. Journal of Community Medicine and Health Education, 6(5), 1-7.

27. Rabbani F, Perveen S, and Aftab W. Investing in universal health coverage for childhood diarrhea and pneumonia: lessons learnt from NIGRAAN implementation research. Pak J Public Health March 2015; 5 (1): 28-30.

28. Rabbani F, Mukhi AA, Perveen S, Gul X, Iqbal S, Qazi S, Syed I, Shaikh K, Aftab W. Improving community case management of diarrhoea and pneumonia in district Badin, Pakistan through a cluster randomised study--the NIGRAAN trial protocol. Implement Sci. 2014;9:186. Published 2014 Dec 10. doi:10.1186/s13012-014-0186-9

29. Khan, R., Siddiqui, I., Aftab, W. (2004). Expected ages in the patients of chronic diseases. Annals of King Edward Medical University, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.21649/akemu.v10i4.1263

1. PhD Project: Prioritizing intersectoral actions for health and well-being: developing a systematic approach
2. Disease Control Priorities 4