Dr Jamila Al Abri has a background in obstetric and women’s health. She obtained an undergraduate medical degree from Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman and is a holder of a Master of Public Health degree from University of New South Wales, Sydney. Dr Jamila is also a holder of a Diploma of Obstetrics and Woman Health from Royal College of Physician of Ireland.
Leadership
Dr Jamila has leadership skills in obstetric and women's health. She is extensively involved in policy-making, programme planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programmes at national level, in particular in women and children’s health programmes.
Previously, she was the Director of Department of Women and Children Health in Ministry of Health-Headquarter in Oman. She was responsible for planning and supervising women and child health programmes at national level. She extensively contributed to the development of guidelines, training and Health Education materials. She also worked with international organizations and other sectors like Ministry of Social Development on issues related to women, adolescent and child health.
Dr Jamila is a member of the National Committee for implementation of Convention of Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW convention), she participated in discussion of the first country report in Geneva in 2011 and is a member of the National Committee for Implementation of Convention of Right of Child (CRC). Dr Jamila is also the national focal point for implementation of global action plan of ending preventable newborn deaths.
Consultancy
From June 2015 to March 2018, Dr Jamila was a member in the Global Validation Advisory Committee for World Health Organization for Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV. She participated in various international meeting such as the World Health Assembly in 2014. She participated in Stakeholders Meeting to Develop the Regional Action Plan for Implementation of the Regional Strategy for Prevention and Control of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of World Health Organization (EMRO) for 2009 to 2015, and as temporary advisor in the Technical working group on the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV in EMRO region in 2012 to develop the Regional Strategy for the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV.
Research
Current project: PhD thesis
The project aims to implement and introduce a national review of severe maternal morbidity known as maternal near miss in Oman, to identify underlying causes of and contributory factors to maternal near miss and to use this approach to assess the quality of care. The project is funded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ministry of Health in Oman.
Currently, there is ongoing debate in the literature about the identification criteria for maternal near miss. In light of this, Dr Jamila Al Abri’s research will test a new approach to identify maternal near miss cases based on WHO application of International Classification of Diseases version 10 for Maternal Mortality (ICD-10 MM) to deaths during and after pregnancy.
Previous research
• From 2008 to 2015, Dr Jamila acted as National Supervisor in Oman for the Multicentre International Foetal and Newborn Growth Standards for the 21st Century (Intergrowth 21st), which is run by Oxford University in eight countries.
• Team leader and principle investigator for Strategic Study of Women and Children's Health in Oman, which is part of long-term Health Vision for Sultanate of Oman titled as Health Vision 2050.
• Co-investigator of the study “Traditional and social practices and their impact on women’s health”.
• Facilitator in Qualitative study “Evaluation of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Oman”, 2008
Teaching experience
Dr Jamila is extensively involved in developing and delivering training in women’s health (antenatal care, intrapartum care, postnatal care, family planning, menopause, adolescent sexual and reproductive health).
She teaches in LSTM’s Diploma of Tropical Medicine & Health, and teaches and supervises students in the Diploma of Sexual and Reproductive Health.
She is an Associate Fellow of the Academy of Higher Education.