Dr Sarah Saleem
Advancing Health Solutions for Real Life
Dr Sarah Saleem is a distinguished researcher working to improve the lives of women, newborns and children in resource-constrained settings. A Noormahomed Pirmahomed Sheriff Professor at the Aga Khan University (AKU), she serves as Head of the Population and Reproductive Health Section in the Department of Community Health Sciences in Pakistan.
Her work is driven by an acute awareness of the realities faced by women and children in low-resource environments. “Poverty, illiteracy, political conflicts, and man-made disasters disproportionately affect women and children," explains Professor Saleem. “Global health indicators, particularly in South Asian and African regions and some conflict-affected countries, are dismal. Despite these challenges, any small effort to bring about positive change keeps me motivated."
With 342 publications and more than 13,500 citations on Google Scholar, Dr Saleem ranks among the world's top 2 percent most-cited scientists, according to an internationally recognised study at Stanford University. These numbers reflect not just productivity, but the relevance and influence of her work on global health practice and policy.
One of Dr Saleem's earliest studies examined rates of unsafe abortion in underserved communities in Karachi. At the time, this was one of the first community-based investigations into a highly sensitive and largely hidden issue in Pakistan. Her findings revealed that many women resorted to unsafe abortions, despite knowing the severe risks, due to limited access to modern family planning methods, or their failure.
By collecting data at the community level rather than relying solely on hospital records, the study helped demonstrate that the problem was much larger than previously reported. The research later informed work by the Population Council Islamabad, which now provides national estimates on unsafe abortions. Dr Saleem describes this study as her biggest accomplishment, noting that the “importance of local data and discovering affordable interventions in limited-resource settings is key to improving health indicators."
Her ongoing research includes identifying cost-effective treatments to improve outcomes for term newborns with moderate to severe Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, a serious brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen or blood flow.
Alongside her research, Dr Saleem is a dedicated educator. Her contributions to teaching and research at AKU have been recognised through multiple awards, including the Best Teacher Award from graduate students (2021), the Outstanding Teacher Award for Community Health Sciences (2007), and just recently, the Award of Excellence in Research (2025) for sustained excellence and exemplary leadership.
Beyond AKU, Professor Saleem has collaborated with numerous public-sector hospitals across Pakistan, district health teams in Sindh, and universities based in the United States and low- and middle-income countries. She currently serves on the advisory board of The Lancet Global Health and holds leadership roles with the World Health Organization: including Director of the Regional Hub for the Eastern Mediterranean Region for Research Capacity Strengthening in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights across 22 countries (Eastern Mediterranean region), and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research, Policy and Development in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Pakistan.
Through her leadership and contributions, Dr Sarah Saleem has brought distinction to AKU while helping protect and uplift the lives of countless women. By improving women's health and well-being, her work creates lasting benefits for children, families and the communities that depend on them.
