Dr Semira Manaseki-Holland FRCP, FFPHM, MRCPCH, PhD, MPH, MBBS, BMedSci

Dr Semira Manaseki-Holland

Institute of Applied Health Research
Reader in Public Health

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 414 4533
Fax
+44 (0)121 414 7878
Email
s.manasekiholland@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
Murray Learning Centre
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Semira Manaseki-Holland trained as a public health physician in England with joint qualifications in paediatrics with research leadership focus on health systems and maternal-child health, mainly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) over a 25 year period. Semira worked in the NHS for 9 years after which she intensified her global health research and health systems delivery, including living and working for two years in Mongolia, and 6 years in Afghanistan. Semira has worked extensively for WHO HQ, UN agencies, Ministries of Health and NGOs on a variety of settings and health programmes. 

Semira’s pioneering international work includes conducting the first randomized control trials in Mongolia and Afghanistan. As CEO for Central Asia for a large multi-national NGO (AKHS) between 2005-2009 she managed the delivery of Afghanistan’s integrated healthcare services in 3 provinces, which ranged from provincial hospitals to district/village clinics. At the same time she supported national health care delivery and reform systems in two remote, mountainous provinces of Tajikistan. Semira also managed the operations of three midwifery training colleges and academic research in Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

At the University of Birmingham, in 2012, Semira founded the Master’s in Public Health (Global) and directed it until 2019. As Reader in Public Health, Semira conducts global health research in maternal child health, health systems, complex community or health systems interventions, often within a randomised controlled trial design context. She also has an area of research in the UK surrounding mortality case note reviews in hospitals. Semira is the Health Lead for Institute of Global Innovation (IGI)  challenge themes “Water Challenges in a Challenging world” and “Clean Air”.  Semira teaches students at undergraduate and postgraduate level, including supervision of a number of PhDs

Maternal Health Heroes

Qualifications

  • Fellowship of Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh - 2009
  • Fellowship of Faculty of Public Health Medicine of Royal College of Physicians London - 2009
  • PhD Paediatric Epidemiology LSHTM- 2002 to 2005
  • Masters in Public Health Medicine and Epidemiology - 1995 to 1997
  • Membership of Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health - 1997
  • Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery - 1985 to 1991
  • Bachelor of Medical Science with Honours - 1987 to 1988

Biography

Semira Manaseki-Holland trained as a public health physician in England with joint qualifications in paediatrics with research leadership focus on health systems and maternal-child health, mainly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) over a 25 year period. Semira worked in the NHS for 9 years after which she intensified her global health research and health systems delivery, including living and working for two years in Mongolia, and 6 years in Afghanistan. Semira has worked extensively for WHO HQ, UN agencies, Ministries of Health and NGOs on a variety of settings and health programmes. 

Semira’s pioneering international work includes conducting the first randomized control trials in Mongolia and Afghanistan. As CEO for Central Asia for a large multi-national NGO (AKHS) between 2005-2009 she managed the delivery of Afghanistan’s integrated healthcare services in 3 provinces, which ranged from provincial hospitals to district/ village clinics. At the same time she supported national health care delivery and reform systems in two remote, mountainous provinces of Tajikistan. Semira also managed the operations of three midwifery training colleges and academic research in Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

At the University of Birmingham, in 2012, Semira founded the Master’s in Public Health (Global) and directed it until 2019. As Reader in Public Health, Semira conducts global health research in maternal child health, health systems, complex community or health systems interventions, often within a randomised controlled trial design context. She also has an area of research in the UK surrounding mortality case note reviews in hospitals. Semira is the Health Lead for Institute of Global Innovation (IGI) https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/global-goals/igi/index.aspx challenge themes “Water Challenges in a Challenging world” and “Clean Air”.  Semira teaches students at undergraduate and postgraduate level, including supervision of a number of PhDs. 

Teaching

Teaching Programmes 

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Manaseki-Holland is interested in supervising doctorial researchers in the following areas, particularly in relation to low- and middle-income countries:

Maternal child health
Clinical handover
Device prioritisation in hospitals
Vitamin D and infection
Childhood Pneumonia and diarrhoea
Health Service Quality metrics/indicators
Preventable hospital mortality/case-notes review

Research

Primary:
  • Maternal Child Health 
  • Quality of Health Care and Health Service Delivery
  • Clinical Trials 
  • Health Determinants and Health Systems in low and middle-income countries 
Secondary:
  • Infectious diseases epidemiology 
  • None-communicable diseases - CVD

Research groups and projects

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Hinrichs-Krapels, S, Tombo, L, Boulding, H, Majonga, ED, Cummins, C & Manaseki-Holland, S 2023, 'Barriers and facilitators for the provision of radiology services in Zimbabwe: A qualitative study based on staff experiences and observations', PLOS Global Public Health, vol. 3, no. 4, e0001796. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001796

Gooden, T, Wang, J, Goulart, AC, Varella, AC, Tai, M, Sheron, VA, Wang, H, Zhang, H, Zhong, J, Kumarendran, B, Nirantharakumar, K, Surenthirakumaran, R, Benseñor, IM, Guo, Y, Lip, G, Thomas, GN & Manaseki-Holland, S 2023, 'Generalisability of and lessons learned from a mixed-methods study conducted in three low- and middle-income countries to identify care pathways for atrial fibrillation', Global Health Action, vol. 16, no. 1, 2231763. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2023.2231763

Dickinson-Craig, E, Badarch, J, Bartington, S, Hemming, K, Thayakaran, R, Day, R, Pope, F, Chuluunbaatar, B, Boldbaatar, D, Ochir, C, Warburton, D, Thomas, GN & Manaseki-Holland, S 2023, 'Impact assessment of a raw coal ban on maternal and child health outcomes in Ulaanbaatar: a protocol for an interrupted time series study', BMJ open, vol. 13, no. 4, e061723. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061723

Joseph, L, Greenfield, S, Manaseki-Holland, S, Lekha, TR, Sujakumari , S, Jeemon, P & Lavis, A 2023, 'Patients’, carers’ and healthcare providers’ views of patient‐held health records in Kerala, India: a qualitative exploratory study', Health Expectations, vol. 26, pp. 1081-1095. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13721

Asamane, EA, Quinn, L, Watson, SI, Lilford, RJ, Hemming, K, Sidibe, C, Rego, RT, Bensassi, S, Diarra, Y, Diop, S, Gautam, OP, Islam, MS, Jackson, L, Jolly, K, Kayentao, K, Koita, O, Manjang, B, Tebbs, S, Gale, N, Griffiths, PL, Cairncross, S, Toure, O & Manaseki-Holland, S 2023, 'Protocol for a parallel group, two-arm, superiority cluster randomised trial to evaluate a community-level complementary-food safety and hygiene and nutrition intervention in Mali: the MaaCiwara study (version 1.3; 10 November 2022)', Trials, vol. 24, no. 1, 68. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06984-5

Wilson, L, Gracie, L, Kidy, F, Thomas, GN, Nirantharakumar, K, Greenfield, S, Manaseki-Holland, S, Ward, D & Gooden, T 2023, 'Safety and efficacy of tuberculosis vaccine candidates in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review of randomised controlled clinical trials', BMC Infectious Diseases, vol. 23, 120. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-023-08092-4

Caleyachetty, R, Kumar, NS, Bekele, H & Manaseki-Holland, S 2023, 'Socioeconomic and urban-rural inequalities in the population-level double burden of child malnutrition in the East and Southern African Region', PLOS Global Public Health, vol. 3, no. 4, e0000397. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000397

Gooden, T, Wang, J, Zemedikun, D, Taylor, S, Greenfield, S, Manaseki-Holland, S, Nirantharakumar, K & Thomas, GN 2022, 'A matched cohort study investigating premature, accentuated and accelerated aging in people living with HIV', HIV Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1111/hiv.13375

Joseph, L, Lavis, A, Greenfield, S, Boban, D, Jose, P, Jeemon, P & Manaseki-Holland, S 2022, 'A systematic review of home-based records in maternal and child health for improving informational continuity, health outcomes, and perceived usefulness in low and middle-income countries', PLOS One, vol. 17, no. 8, e0267192. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267192

Dickinson-Craig, E, Bartington, SE, Watts, R, Mandakhbayar, O, Khurelbaatar, E-O, Ochir, C, Boldbaatar, D, Warburton, D, Thomas, GN, Pope, FD, Sereeter, L, Maniseki-Holland, S & Badarch, J 2022, 'Carbon monoxide levels in households using coal-briquette fuelled stoves exceed WHO air quality guidelines in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia', International Journal of Environmental Health Research, pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2022.2123906

Rickard, F, Lu , F, Gustafsson , L, MacArthur, C, Cummins, C, Coker, I, Wilson, A, Mane, K, Manneh, K & Manaseki-Holland, S 2022, 'Clinical handover communication at maternity shift changes and women's safety in Banjul, The Gambia: a mixed-methods study', BMC pregnancy and childbirth, vol. 22, 784. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-022-05052-9

Joseph, L, Greenfield, S, Lavis, A, Lekha , TR, Jeemon, P & Manaseki-Holland, S 2022, 'Exploring factors affecting health care providers’ behaviours for maintaining continuity of care in Kerala, India; a qualitative analysis using the theoretical domains framework', Frontiers in public health, vol. 10, 891103. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.891103

Caleyachetty, R, Lufumpa, N, Kumar, N, Mohammed, NI, Bekele, H, Kurmi, O, Wells, J & Manaseki-Holland, S 2022, 'Exposure to household air pollution from solid cookfuels and childhood stunting: a population-based, cross-sectional study of half a million children in low- and middle-income countries', International Health. https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihab090

Review article

Gunter, H, Bradley, C, Hannah, D, Manaseki-Holland, S, Stevens, R & Khamis, K 2023, 'Advances in quantifying microbial contamination in potable water: Potential of fluorescence-based sensor technology', Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, vol. 10, no. 1, e1622. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1622

Woolley, KE, Dickinson-Craig, E, Lawson, HL, Sheikh, J, Day, R, Pope, FD, Greenfield, SM, Bartington, SE, Warburton, D, Manaseki-Holland, S, Price, MJ, Moore, DJ & Thomas, GN 2022, 'Effectiveness of interventions to reduce household air pollution from solid biomass fuels and improve maternal and child health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Indoor Air, vol. 32, no. 1, e12958. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12958

View all publications in research portal