Aga Khan University

Advances in Interventional Oncology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Locoregional therapies are used across the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment spectrum, including for curative treatment of small tumors, as bridging or downstaging therapy before liver transplant, for treatment of intermediate-stage disease, and as part of combination trea...

Globalising the access to advanced molecular diagnostics of CNS tumors: Experience of the Molecular Neuro-Pathology (MNP) Outreach Consortium

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors pose a major global health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where outcomes remain disproportionately poor. The global CONCORD-3 study (Lancet Oncology) highlighted stark disparities in five-year survival (201...

Shared patterns of human milk composition link mammary gland function to infant growth

The mammary gland produces nutrient-rich human milk (HM), yet how mammary functional state shapes HM composition and infant outcomes remains poorly understood. We used HM multi-omics - metabolomics, proteomics, micronutrients, macronutrients, and HM oligosaccharides - across 1,54...

Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability of Healthcare Facilities in a Rural District of Pakistan: A Mixed‐Methods Assessment Using the WHO Framework

ABSTRACT Climate change increasingly threatens healthcare facilities (HCFs), especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries. This study assessed climate vulnerabilities in 12 HCFs (9 primary and 3 secondary) in a rural district Matiari in Sindh, Pakistan, and proposed sustainable...

Dentists’ perceptions and system-level barriers to antimicrobial stewardship in dental care in Karachi, Pakistan: a qualitative study

Abstract Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat, and dental practice is an important but frequently overlooked contributor to inappropriate antibiotic use. In Pakistan, antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in dentistry remains nascent, and dentists’...

Changes in the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of school teachers following an educational intervention in Skardu: a quasi-experimental study

To evaluate within-participant changes in knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among school teachers following a structured educational intervention on children’s eye health in Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Pakistan. This single-group pre–post quasi-experimental stud...

MSC-derived extracellular vesicles rescue ARPE-19 cells from H2O2-induced oxidative damage via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms

Oxidative stress (OS) is a key factor in the pathogenesis of several eye conditions. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic agent due to their antioxidant and cytoprotective...

Generational changes in lung function in adults from several world regions: results from the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study

This study estimated birth cohort effects on lung function using BOLD (Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease) data from 28 569 adults born between 1902 and 1976 across 41 sites in 34 countries. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) and the FEV 1 /FVC...

The relationship between reduced child spacing and depression in mothers: A cross-sectional study in Karachi, Pakistan

Short inter-birth intervals may increase maternal psychological stress and have been hypothesized to contribute to depressive symptoms. We assessed the association between recent birth spacing and depression in mothers in Karachi, Pakistan. We conducted a cross-sectional, intervi...

Cancer care in Pakistan: a national survey of infrastructure, diagnostic capacity, therapeutic access, and workforce perspectives

Pakistan, a lower-middle-income country of some 241 million people, faces a rising cancer burden — an estimated 185,748 new cancer cases and 118,631 cancer deaths in 2022 — that is served by a heterogeneous and largely uncoordinated mix of public, private for-profit, philanthropi...

Understanding smokeless tobacco use in rural Sindh through food insecurity and livelihood stress

Smokeless tobacco use remains a significant public health concern in Pakistan, particularly in rural settings where prevention and cessation efforts remain limited. Existing literature has largely emphasized social normalization, dependence, and barriers to quitting, but does not...

Student perceptions of the School eHealth Education Program Pakistan (eSHEPP): a qualitative study of acceptability, feasibility, and awareness of non-communicable diseases

Background: Noncommunicable diseases are a leading cause of premature morbidity and mortality, and many associated risk behaviors emerge during adolescence. In Pakistan, school health education remains limited and largely lecture-based, leaving adolescents insufficiently equipped...

A longitudinal multi‑proxy geospatial classification of peri‑urban transitions across community health units in coastal Kenya

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Background:</bold> Urbanization is spatially heterogeneous in many sub-Saharan African settings. This complicates community health planning when rural and peri-urban labels are applied informally or updated inconsistently. We assessed whether multipl...

Outcomes of Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in a Low-Resource Setting

Importance: No study from a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) has reported long-term mortality and quality of life (QOL) after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI), highlighting its burden and recovery trajectories. Objectives: To measure short- and long-term mor...

Maternal clinical characteristics and their influence on newborn telomere length and immune senescence

Abstract Background Maternal clinical characteristics studies and the potential outcome of pregnancy depict a strong influence on newborn telomere genetics and the immune system. This study aims to evaluate the association between maternal clinical and anthropometric factors with...