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Dean’s Communiqué |
Edition 13
Dear colleagues, students, alumni and members of the AKU
community,
I would like to begin this message by extending my sincere appreciation to the nursing
staff and those who have been volunteering at the COVID-19 vaccination site to facilitate and ensure a safe and efficient vaccination drive. Despite all the challenges we have faced during the last year, 2021 is giving us hopes after all.
In another positive news, over 40 nursing
schools in Pakistan have transitioned from apprenticeship to higher education model. This is a huge step forward by the government to improve the standing of the profession.
Last couple of months also brought about quite a few public-private partnerships and collaborative initiatives. However, within AKU, the most important collaboration currently happening is between SONAM Pakistan and East Africa. For the first time, all four countries are working closely to create one collective vision for the Schools.
This edition brings to you all the latest developments happened at SONAM. I welcome you to read through the stories and share your feedback with us.
Peaceful thoughts!
Rozina
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NATIONWIDE CAPACITY BUILDING
OF
Healthcare Workers
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SONAM begins
free-of-cost
capacity building drive for over 10,000 frontline nurses, nurse educators, midwives and
lady health visitors
across Pakistan.
The programme is funded by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid in collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation.
Read more >>
Another capacity building training programme was recently launched with Director General Nursing Sindh Ms Khair-un-nisa Khan. Around 80 nurse instructors, practicing nurses and critical care technicians working with COVID-19 patients in over 10 public sector hospitals have been trained and more trainings are underway. I congratulate Dr Rubina Barolia for taking this initiative forward.
Read more >>
I was also part of an MoU signing ceremony on behalf of AKU with the Health and Population Welfare Department, Sindh, to ensure availability of reproductive health and family planning services in Qambar and Matiari districts, especially for women and adolescents. Thanks to Zahid Memon, Dr Sajid Soofi, Dr Tazeen Ali and all individuals involved in taking this project forward.
Learn more >>
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SONAM STRATEGIC PLANNING
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SONAM had a two-day impactful workshop on “What Matters Now” as part of our
ONE-SONAM Strategic Planning. Facilitated by Sohail Zindani, a business management and organisational development consultant, there were multiple insightful mini-sessions where we deliberated on innovative strategies and ideas that helped our faculty and staff reflect on our processes and goals.
Both the entities in Pakistan and East Africa are geared up in this process of developing one vision for the School!
More details on SONAM Strategic Planning
>>
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National Health Sciences Research Symposium
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This year, our flagship event was yet another power-packed mix of talks, interactive sessions, scientific posters and workshops. It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of this virtual symposium joined by national and international speakers and to be able to discuss interventions to prepare better.
Congratulations to Dr Asad Ali, Dr Rafat Jan, Dr Faisal Mahmood and all the
organising committee members for a very successful event!
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CLASS OF 2021
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It was a pleasure to virtually connect with the newly inducted batch of 2021 for all programmes across the University. We hope to soon welcome them in person as well and have their smiles and vigour brighten up our campus.
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honours and recognitions
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Last month, AKDN published a piece on the 2020 list of 100 Outstanding Women Nurses and Midwives.
Eleven of them
are AKDN’s staff and alumni, out of which, eight are faculty or alumni of SONAM,
Pakistan.
It is a huge
honour for us, and I once again congratulate all the nurses on the list as well as the nursing fraternity on the whole providing exemplary care to the communities they serve.
Read more >>
Kudos to the 33 nurses, midwives and lady health visitors from across AKDN on successfully completing the First Nursing Education Course on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease led by AKU Faculty Dr Nuruddin Mohammed and his team.
See More >>
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FACULTY and staff updates
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I am extremely proud of SONAM students and faculty members who are volunteering to administer COVID-19 vaccinations and are closely working with AKUH
at the vaccine site.
Heartiest congratulations to
SONAM
faculty Khairulnissa Ajani and
Shanaz Cassum, and all faculty
members who are part of the inaugural members of the Teachers’ Academy. This is a unique opportunity as it is one of the first interdisciplinary academies of its kind at AKU.
Read more >>
Yet another feather in our cap! Faculty members Khairulnissa Ajani
and Kiran Mubeen
recently received Senior Fellowship
and
Fellowship respectively by the Advance Higher Education Academy in recognition of their commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning.
What an incredible initiative to encourage female doctors to pursue PGME in Afghanistan! Applicants from Kabul and other far-flung areas are being trained by our nurse educators and other experts. I congratulate SONAM faculty Yasmin Parpio, Shagufta Iqbal, Shehla Khan, Dr Naghma Rizvi, Sehrish Sajjad, and the FMIC team for leading this initiative.
Learn more >>
“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it!”
We had a “Thank You townhall” for our incredible team at SONAM without whom we wouldn’t have been able to pull through the challenges faced in 2020. I am proud and grateful to be leading such exceptional individuals!
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RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS
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Our faculty Sharifa Lalani and Kiran Shaikh who are also Queen Elizabeth Scholars, worked with researchers and nursing experts from the University of Calgary, York University and Dr Almina Pardhan of AKU-IED to address the cognitive and
social-emotional development needs of children.
Read more on their work >>
The latest edition of the Journal of Asian Midwives that includes an editorial and an article by SONAM faculty members have been added on eCommons. You may access them from the below links:
Other Publications
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Right To Play’s intervention to reduce peer violence among children in public schools in Pakistan: a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Published in Global Health Actions
Authors: Rozina Karmaliani, Judith McFarlane, Hussain Maqbool Ahmed Khuwaja, Yasmeen Somani, Shireen Shehzad Bhamani, Tazeen S Ali, Nargis Asad, Esnat D. Chirwa, Rachel Jewkes
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Gynaecological morbidities among married women and husband’s behaviour: Evidence from a community‐based study
Authors:
Tazeen Saeed Ali,
Neelofar Sami, Adil Ali Saeed,
Parveen Ali
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Factors Influencing Low Enrollment in a Community Based Health Insurance Scheme, Karachi, Pakistan: A Mixed Methods Case Study.
Authors: Hussain Maqbool Ahmed Khuwaja, Rozina Karmaliani,
Rozina Mistry, Muhammad Ashar Malik, Rozina Sikandar
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36 YEARS OF SERVICE
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After 36 years of service, Abdul Aziz, assistant manager at the dean’s office,
bid farewell to the School. We were overwhelmed with the responses received on his farewell from the entire AKU family!
View here >>
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COVID-19: MENTAL WELLNESS
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Wellness Survey
SONAM and the Department of Psychiatry have partnered for a mental wellness initiative designed especially for our employees in Pakistan and East Africa.
Participate in the
survey >>
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Follow us on Facebook!
We will be happy to receive your comments and feedback.
Please write to us at sonam.pk@aku.edu
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