Promoting Women’s Health and Well-being

Globally, the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) related morbidity and mortality in postpartum women has increased. Women who experience adverse pregnancy outcomes have an increased lifelong risk of developing CVD. Yet, CVD amongst postpartum women remains under-studied, under-screened, and under-diagnosed. Early diagnostic testing and risk-based recommendations are required to combat the increasing trend.

Bio: Dr. Rubee Dev is a Global Women's Health researcher. Her program of research sits in the intersection of reproductive and cardiovascular health of postpartum women.  Her work entails extensive research to identify the data gaps and opportunities for action in meeting the needs of global women’s health and improving care delivery in primary health care settings, mainly through collaboration, partnerships, and knowledge translation.

Despite existing interventions, many mothers living in socioeconomically disadvantaged conditions experience mental health challenges due to individual and systemic barriers. Through a collaborative project, our team has co-developed a contextually relevant, women-driven empowerment tool kit to support maternal mental health and well-being that is a unique combination of women’s recommendations and evidence-based resources.

Bio: Dr. Saima Hirani is a mental health researcher whose work centers on mental health and mental health promotion, with a particular focus on populations living in vulnerable and high-risk conditions. Her research focuses on empowering people by identifying the factors and interventions that strengthen the capacity of individuals, families, and communities to take control over their own mental health and support the well-being of others.