The female population of Pakistan constitutes over 50% of which 68% lives in rural areas where healthcare is either unavailable or unaffordable. Many women suffer and die because they lack access to proper healthcare facilities and useful information about their health.

Women’s life expectancy in Pakistan is 67 years, as compared to 73 in Bangladesh and 78 in Thailand. The maternal mortality rate in Pakistan is 170 per 100,000 live births, in contrast to 30 in Sri Lanka and 20 in Thailand. Besides week infrastructure, social behavior regarding women health is also a major reason behind this situation. In some parts of the country, women are at times not even allowed by their families to undergo medical treatment or visit a doctor.

Omer Aftab developed a Health Guide for women in easily understandable language in Urdu “Jahan Auratoun Kee Doctor Naheen”. This book provides information about a wide range of women’s health problems which girls, women and health workers have found useful, even lifesaving with a special emphasis on reproductive health. The goal is to provide this information to as many rural women and in as many places as possible in Pakistan. A woman in a village who is able to read an Urdu newspaper, can read through this book and share health tips with other women around who don’t have access to a medical practitioner.

Further; Omer expanded his interventions regarding women’s health concentrating to the advocacy efforts to provide improved reproductive health care (RH) facilities, he also designed campaigns to raise awareness about issues like maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), breastfeeding and nutrition.

Recently, Omer has designed an awareness campaign on Menstrual Hygiene Management in collaboration with UNICEF Pakistan. Considering the sensitivity of the issue, Omer specially launched a series of advocacy and lobbying efforts with religious scholars.