The seminar
on "Adaptation of Training Manuals (ATM) for Pakistan", aimed at
bridging the gap between health providers and community, was organized
to disseminate the findings of a study jointly undertaken by CHS,
Aga Khan Health Service, Pakistan (AKHS,P), and HANDS (Health And
Nutrition Development Society) and Marie Stopes Society.
In the early
eighties, the World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank and UNDP
joined hands to produce a training manual "Health Workers for Change",
which suggested ways of making health care providers sensitive to
the needs of women. This manual was successfully applied to several
African and subsequently to Latin American countries. The project
was jointly undertaken by AKU, and its partner NGOs, to adapt the
manual to Pakistan,
and to measure its utility in the local context.
Dr. Babar Shaikh
from CHS was the moderator for the seminar. In his inaugural address,
Dr. Farhat Abbas, Acting Dean of Faculty of Health Sciences, spoke
on the poor social status of women in Pakistan.
This he said was evident in the latest UNDP report, where Pakistan
ranked 135th of the 174 countries in the Gender related
Development Index. He linked the poor social status to the gender-disparity
in seeking health care, and consequently, the poor health status
of women of the country.
Dr. Masood Kadir,
Acting Chair of the CHS, declared the project to be a fruitful partnership
between the University and its partner NGOs. This was followed by
a keynote address by Dr. Talat Rizvi, consultant to the UNICEF.
Dr. Rizvi highlighted the poor conditions of women in the South
Asian region. In particular, she spoke of the dismal picture of
the women in Pakistan,
where every minute, three women die and 40 others are permanently
disabled during childbirth.
Dr. Fauziah
Rabbani, Head of Health Systems Division, CHS, gave an introduction
to the project and its objectives. Dr. Fauziah outlined the major
milestones of the project and introduced the development of a new
tool that is to serve as a framework of inquiry. The main speakers
Shama Dosa, Dr. Musa Rahim, and Kausar.S.Khan presented a detailed
description of the project and its findings. Dr. Rahim spoke on
the findings of the report, especially those that are unique to
the Pakistani setting. Kausar Khan presented the development of
the new framework analysis tool, aptly entitled "Initiating Women's
Empowerment for Health", and described it as the first step in helping
women analyse their health needs, and to empower them.
The members
of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) where the manual was tested
were invited to share their experiences with the participants. This
unique approach made the voices of the community members, their
experiences and concerns heard. Partner NGOs commented on their
experience related to this project and also shared other similar
initiatives underway within their own domains.
In an overview
of the upcoming phase of the project, Dr. Fauziah Rabbani said that
it would usher in a new era of strengthening health service delivery
in Pakistan,
and spoke of the potential of public-private partnership.
Proposal for
the next phase, which aims to evaluate the impact of the adapted
manuals in altering health seeking behavior and health services
delivery is under consideration by Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan.
