Maryam Ba-Break

Research profile

My research and professional engagement in Africa span several countries and focus areas, with a strong emphasis on public health, health systems strengthening, and medical education.

In Egypt, I conducted research on adolescent smoking, identifying key causes and designing school-based interventions to prevent smoking initiation.

In Nigeria, I led research on cervical cancer, focusing on prevention, early detection, and awareness strategies.

Supervision

I have supervised numerous postgraduate students from across Africa, supporting research in areas such as epidemiology, health promotion, and clinical practice.

Notably, I supervised a PhD student at the University of Leeds who conducted a mixed-methods systematic review on the role of community pharmacists in controlling non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries.

The study explored barriers and facilitators to expanding pharmacists’ roles in hypertension prevention and management, with a focus on Zambia.

Additionally, I supervised an academic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, who is researching vaccine hesitancy among religious leaders.

This project aims to draw lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to address vaccine hesitancy in future public health emergencies, particularly in multi-religious African contexts.

Professional networks

I maintain active networks with universities across several African countries and continue to collaborate on research and training initiatives.

Many of my former MPH students now hold influential roles, including leading non-communicable disease control efforts within the World Health Organization in various African regions.

I am also a member of the Leeds University Centre for African Studies (LUCAS), which supports interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement with African scholarship.

A selection of Africa-focused projects and resources

• Tobacco Control and Adolescent Health: My research in Egypt includes a school-based smoking prevention intervention and a secondary analysis of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey. These findings were published in BMJ Open and the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, and presented at the 2024 International Conference of the High Institute of Public Health in Alexandria.
• Cervical Cancer and Women’s Health: I have co-authored studies on cervical cancer screening uptake among Nigerian women and gynecologists’ practices in Yemen, contributing to regional strategies for early detection and prevention.
• Community Pharmacists and NCDs in Zambia: I supervised a PhD project at the University of Leeds that conducted a mixed-methods systematic review on the role of community pharmacists in hypertension control in Zambia.
• Maternal and Child Health: My work includes studies on anaemia in pregnancy, dental health, and malnutrition among children in Yemen, as well as nutrition interventions to address growth failure in children under two. I have also presented research on exclusive breastfeeding practices in Uganda.
• Malaria Prevention in Tanzania: I co-authored a study on systemic barriers to malaria prevention in pregnancy in southeast Tanzania.
• COVID-19 and Humanitarian Settings: I contributed to several presentations and workshops on COVID-19 surveillance, vaccine hesitancy, and public health communication in humanitarian contexts, including Yemen, Somalia, and Tanzania. These were delivered through platforms such as Yale University’s Council on Middle East Studies and national conferences in Yemen and Oman.
• Health Systems and Social Research: I have authored national reports on blindness, child-rearing practices, and institutional assessments of women’s NGOs in Yemen, in collaboration with local NGOs and UNICEF.

These projects are supported by my active supervision of African postgraduate students, many of whom now lead NCD control efforts within WHO regional offices.