As thousands of flood-affected people reach Karachi, the local administration is collaborating with the Aga Khan University to facilitate them in the relief camps.

The collaboration was discussed in a meeting between AKU President Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin and the Karachi commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon and other government officials.

“Being a national asset, AKU is always on the frontline when the nation needs its services. AKU’s teams are working with the federal and provincial governments, local authorities and fellow agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network to support the flood relief efforts in the country,” said Dr Shahabuddin.

The AKU Flood Response Task Force along with the commissioner visited the relief camps to assess the flood affectees’ needs and provided necessary healthcare-related supplies.

“We appreciate the Aga Khan University and other public and private institutions for being part of the Government’s flood relief efforts,” said Commissioner Memon while distributing the AKU supplies at a flood relief camp in Sachal Goth, Karachi along with the AKU task force leads Dr Adil Haider, Dean of AKU Medical College and Dr Shahid Shafi, Chief Executive Officer of the Aga Khan University Hospital.

Healthcare-related supplies provided by AKU for the flood-affected people were distributed in the presence of the Karachi commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon and the AKU task force leads Dr Adil Haider and Dr Shahid Shafi at a camp in Sachal Goth, Karachi.  ​​​Photo: AKU/Akber Moeen

AKU’s healthcare camps and mobile units in the flood-affected areas have provided care to over 80,000 people and distributed medicines of over Rs 120 million in 22 districts of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Out of 80,000 people who visited the camps, 23,000 were women of reproductive age, including 2,700 pregnant women, and 19,000 children under five. Over 6,000 children received routine vaccination.

Most of the patients coming to AKU’s healthcare camps have diarrhoea, dehydration, respiratory infections, malaria, dengue and skin problems.

AKU task force is also organising free capacity-building sessions for healthcare workers serving in the affected areas, which are attended by over 4,000 participants from around the country.

AKU’s healthcare camps and distribution of medicines and healthcare-related supplies are supported with grants by generous donors and contributions from the University’s faculty, staff, students and supporters.

AKU’s contribution is part of overall efforts by the Aga Khan Development Network in Pakistan.