Digitization can reduce poverty, corruption: Former Estonian President

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

“If the willingness is there, states can transform themselves through the use of digital technology, significantly reducing levels of poverty and corruption and simplifying government services that are otherwise bureaucratic and time consuming.” 

This was the core message delivered in a special lecture by Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former president of Estonia (2006-2016). He is recognized for implementing bold and innovative policies that led the Baltic state to becoming a global leader in digital governance, especially in the areas of voting, banking, healthcare, transportation and education. 

The event was hosted by Aga Khan University (AKU) Information and Communications Technology division, led by Chief Information Officer Shaukat Ali Khan, and attended by prominent CIOs from other leading institutions in Pakistan at the as special guests. 

Following his presidency, the Estonian leader has actively worked to advance understanding of how technology can be used to improve lives and create a safer world. He co-chairs the Global Future Council on Blockchain Technology, which examines how blockchain technology can be used to enhance cybersecurity, and recently advised the World Health Organization on technological solutions to address the COVID-19 pandemic. 

President Ilves, who was speaking remotely, shared his experiences spearheading Estonia’s digital transformation. He built on his familiarity with coding to explore innovative solutions to overcome a highly inefficient bureaucracy. Using the example of registering a birth in Estonia, he described a colleague’s frustration at having to manually apply to numerous individual departments to register the birth of a child, a process that took weeks and involved significant frustration. 

Digitization meant that as soon as a child was born, the hospital would enter it into the system, after which it would instantaneously be shared with every other relevant department so records would automatically be updated, expediting the entire process with no involvement from the parent. This ethos to simplify the citizen experience has continued to the point that even to file taxes, citizens usually just verify forms readily filled by the government. Though this process can be quite cumbersome in most countries, it takes mere minutes today for most Estonians. 

Moreover, the former Estonian president emphasized the IT talent existing in Pakistan, highlighting that there were many brilliant Pakistanis working in Estonia’s IT sector. He also suggested building proprietary government systems, and shared that many of Estonia’s systems are open source and can be freely shared for the benefit of other nations. 

Answering questions from the audience as to how a nation with low GDP per capita and limited exposure to computers managed to digitize, President Ilves shared Estonia’s solution of creating computer centres for the public to come and utilize the machines with assistance, so they could engage with the new digital governance systems. He also indicated that the focus of digitization must be on the citizens, and what makes their lives easier, despite how tempting it is to initially pursue projects that make things easier for the government. 

As people notice and feel the benefits of digitization, there is a ‘halo effect’ which leads to greater adoption of other related digital services. Extolling the virtues and necessity of digitization, the President highlighted that Estonia only 30 years ago was a newly independent country with high levels of poverty and corruption. Today, it has a reputation as a digital leader with the most unicorns (companies valued above US$1 billion) per capita in Europe and the sixth lowest corruption levels in the world, a startling achievement. It is a transformation journey upon which any country can embark if the willingness exists. 

The AKU is engaged in its own transformation journey, as it implements a globally leading Electronic Health Records (EHR) system across its hospitals to enhance patient experience, care quality, and research capability. Shaukat Ali Khan thanked President Ilves for sharing his wisdom and experience with the audience, and expressed his gratitude to all the participants, as well as the University of Central Asia (UCA) and the CxO Global Forum, for helping make the event possible.

AKU’s Prof Zulfiqar Bhutta ranked among top global scientists

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta of the Aga Khan University (AKU) has been ranked among the top 100 medicine scientists in the first edition of top scientists ranking for medicine published by Research.com, one of the major knowledge centres for medicine research. He is the only scientist from Pakistan and the low- and middle-income countries who made it to the top 100. 

The ranking is based on criteria that considered h-index, which indicates how productive and influential a researcher is, publications and citations. The ranking team examined 166,880 scientists on Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic Graph, and over 65,743 profiles for the discipline of medicine.

“As is the case for other recent recognitions, though a personal recognition, this ranking reflects the achievements of scores of young researchers and faculty members across the world having worked with me on problems of the most marginalized and impoverished women and children in poor communities,” Professor Bhutta commented. 

He is the founding director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health and the Institute for Global Health and Development at AKU and Co-Director of the SickKids Centre for Global Child Health, Robert Harding Chair in Global Child Health and Policy, and a Senior Scientist in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences programme at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto.

“Congratulations to Professor Bhutta and his team for this great achievement. Their relevant research at AKU has changed lives not only in the countries where we seek to serve but also globally,” the AKU President, Sulaiman Shahabuddin, greeted. 

Professor Bhutta is one of the original members of AKU’s faculty since the establishment of the University. Having begun his career at AKU in 1986, the University provided a foundation for the development of an illustrious career in which he built research programmes on maternal and child health and nutrition with national and global impact, despite the challenges of political turmoil and economic insecurity in Pakistan.

Between 1996 and 2002, Professor Bhutta and his team at the University undertook extensive community outreach and research programme in an urban slum of Karachi and several rural areas of Pakistan, which then expanded to many regions and provinces of Pakistan as well as other low- and middle-income countries.

Over the last two decades, he has closely collaborated with the government of Pakistan to assess effectiveness of health care approaches and innovations in real-world settings through partnering with public sector community health workers. Many of these large community-based cluster randomized trials led by Professor Bhutta have generated findings that changed global policy, most notably the finding that using chlorhexidine for cord care among home births was associated with significant reduction in the risk of neonatal sepsis and death, and that public sector community health workers could successfully work with communities to reach those at greatest risk and reduce perinatal mortality as well as maternal morbidities. 

His work has been the foundation of multiple international guidelines, including changing World Health Organization policy on the treatment of persistent diarrhoea and malnutrition along with establishing lady health workers (LHW) as foundational members of community-based interventions in Pakistan, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. His team in Pakistan and Canada has extensively worked on strategies to improve maternal and child health and nutrition in conflict settings and emergencies. Notably his team works with community volunteers and health workers in tribal areas of Pakistan to improve polio and routine immunization coverage. 

Professor Bhutta holds the title of Distinguished University Professor at the AKU which is the highest faculty rank the university can confer as well as an Award of Distinction and Award of Excellence in Research. He has received several international awards and recognition. Recently, he also received the Roux Prize for turning evidence into health impact and the John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award for outstanding achievements in global health research.

AKU President hosts diplomat dinner

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sulaiman Shahabuddin, President of the Aga Khan University (AKU), hosted a dinner reception in the honour of diplomats from around the world in Karachi. 

“The AKU’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the developing world and beyond, through world-class teaching, research and healthcare delivery,” the AKU President observed while briefing diplomats on the university's contributions and social impact.

“The AKU educates students for local and global leadership from campuses and teaching hospitals in six countries, including Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom. Being a not-for-profit institution, all revenues generated by the University and its hospitals are invested back in education and research, and in helping patients and improving healthcare,” he stressed. 

Sulaiman Shahabuddin also talked about AKU’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030. “The AKU’s first solar power project in Pakistan is a key step forward to realizing our environment and climate ambitions. Using renewable, clean energy brings not only cost savings but benefits people and the planet alike,” he said. 

The dinner was attended by diplomats from France, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and other countries.

#karachi #karachinews #karachialerts #AllAboutKarachi #karachipakistan #karachieducation #karachi #karachipakistan #KarachiUpdates #karachilatest

WHO designates AKU as collaborating centre

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has opened a collaborating centre on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) at the Aga Khan University Medical College’s Department of Community Health Sciences (CHS) in Karachi, This is the first such centre specific to SRHR in Pakistan and the fourth in general in the country. 

The partnership incorporates AKU into a network of over 800 WHO collaborating centres in over 80 member states working with the global health body on areas such as nursing, occupational health, communicable diseases, nutrition, mental health, chronic diseases and health technologies. 

Dr Sarah Saleem, a professor of population and reprictive health at AKU, will lead the centre and provide strategic support in implementing WHO's mandated work and programme objectives, and develop and strengthen institutional capacity in the 22 countries and territories within the EMRO (Eastern Mediterranean) region. She is also the principal investigator for the Eastern Mediterranean hub for research capacity strengthening, based within AKU’s CHS Department, which was initiated in 2019 and has trained over 200 participants in sexual and reproductive health research, including gender-based violence. 

“This enables so many people to take their first steps towards quality research, policy and development in SRHR. We are contributing to a cause, a country and a region,” she remarked. 

The collaboration aims to provide technical input and expertise on WHO’s repository of SRHR evidence, guidelines and training resources; to assist WHO in building national and regional capacity on sexual and reproductive health through training on SRHR; and to support WHO in conducting collaborative research, under WHO's leadership, on SRHR at the regional level.  

The team is in the process of forming a virtual network of institutions within EMRO to discuss their needs and share knowledge. The team is already developing an open-access SRHR repository housed within the AKU library. This project is led by Dr Peter Gatiti, AKU Associate Vice Provost and University Librarian, and it will serve as a region-specific one-stop rich resource for scientists, researchers and policymakers. 

The WHO collaborating centres are institutions such as research institutes, parts of universities or academies, designated by the director-general to carry out activities in support of the organization's programmes. 

The WHO gains access to top centres worldwide and the institutional capacity to ensure the scientific validity of global health work. Conversely, designation as a WHO collaborating centre provides institutions with enhanced visibility and recognition by national authorities, calling public attention to the health issues on which they work. 

Dr Farina Abrejo, a senior instructor, is the co-principal investigator at the centre. AKU's School of Nursing and Midwifery is also working with the centre, represented by Dr Saleema Gulzar.

AKU initiates first solar power project at campus

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

As part of its commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030, AKU is investing in solar arrays on its campuses in Karachi. 

Three new solar installations will cut the University’s carbon footprint by more than 365,000 kg per year, the equivalent to 1.5 million kilometers travelled in a medium sized car. Three buildings are being fitted with a 550 kW solar photovoltaic system. 

These include the Sports and Rehabilitation Centre and Utilities Building on the Stadium Road campus, as well as a smaller installation on the Utilities Building in Education City, Karachi. Once all 1021 panels at all three locations have been installed, they are expected to generate nearly 500,000 kWh of carbon neutral electricity per year.

“AKU’s first solar power project in Pakistan is a key step forward to realising our environment and climate ambitions. Using renewable, clean energy brings not only cost savings but benefits people and the planet alikem,” the AKU President, Sulaiman Shahabuddin, remarked at the inauguration of the installation at the Sports Centre. 

Over the last decade, solar power has become one of the cheapest electricity sources, particularly suitable for locations such as Pakistan with a high number of sunny days. Once installed, solar energy requires no inputs, reduces operational costs and can improve the environment for the local community by reducing noise and air pollution.

“We are proud to say that currently, AKU is the only university and only healthcare provider in Pakistan having a publicly committed net zero carbon target. Our goal is to champion good stewardship of the environment: to mitigate the effects of climate change from our activities, and support resilience in the communities we serve,” the AKU President declared.

Pakistan, UK researchers make blood cancer treatment discovery

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

 (Pakistan News & Features Services)

Almost one third people living with an untreatable form of blood cancer can now look forward to the development of new therapies for their disease after researchers discovered a mechanism that makes existing treatments ineffective and how this can be overcome. 

Leukemia is one of the three major types of blood cancer. While most cases of leukemia, including a subtype of the disease, Philadelphia-positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Ph+ALL, are treatable, almost one-third of Ph+ALL patients have become impossible to treat due to developing resistance to current treatments. Until now, the mechanism for this type of resistance has remained unknown. 

A recent study in the Neoplasia journal by faculty at Aga Khan University’s Centre for Regenerative Medicine (CRM) and Cardiff University has pinpointed a series of cascading chemical reactions or a signaling pathway that, when targeted, can kill, or suppress the growth of resistant leukemic cancerous cells. 

Cells in our body communicate using chemical signals. These chemical signals, which are proteins or other molecules, are meant to facilitate different functions of cells. These signals usually stop after serving their purpose. If they don’t stop, as it happens in some cases, they can cause serious health problems such as cancer. 

“Our study detected a signaling pathway which is switched on and doesn’t switch off in treatment-resistant Philadelphia-positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Ph+ALL,” Dr Afsar Mian, an assistant professor at CRM, remarked adding that blocking this pathway would prevent a protein from activating another protein thereby preventing the development of resistance in cancer cells and ultimately their growth and spread. 

Over the course of his career, he has investigated a number of signaling pathways and his past work and experience led him to partner with a leading researcher in the field, Professor Oliver Ottmann of Cardiff University, United Kingdom, to investigate the AKT/mTOR pathway. In this study, researchers used cell lines from a child and an adult with Ph+ALL. Drug resistance was induced in the child’s sample while the adult’s sample was already resistant to treatment. 

In both cases, they found the AKT/mTOR pathway to be responsible for promoting drug resistance and noticed how a specific chemical compound acted as a ‘brake’ on the functioning of the pathway, halting the growth of cancerous cells.

“The first step to discovering a new cancer drug is to know the mechanisms underlying the development, progression and resistance of a specific cancer. We now hope that our research will help us develop more effective and novel targeted treatments,” Dr Afsar Mian stated.

Stem cell researchers at the CRM are already in the process of developing new therapies for Ph+ALL. The contributors to the study included Professor El-Nasir Lalani, founding director of CRM and the Khatija and Mohan Manji Dhrolia Endowed Chair in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and Usva Zafar and Syed Muhammad Areeb Ahmed, research associates at CRM.

Seminar highlights shortage of diabetes specialists in Pakistan

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan has too few diabetes specialists to treat the nearly 19.4 million people suffering from the disease according to the experts who spoke at a seminar at the Aga Khan University (AKU) held to announce the launch of a six-month certificate course in diabetes that seeks to expand access to the knowledge and skills needed to treat and manage the disease. The course, set to begin from January 2021, will offer the most updated and evidence-based knowledge to manage patients.

The country has only one specialist, also known as an endocrinologist, for every 200,000 diabetes patients, according to Pakistan Endocrine Society. Similar shortfalls in training and awareness of diabetes are present at all levels of our healthcare system, speakers added. 

The current deficits in managing the illness, which has no symptoms, mean that many patients often seek care when they are suffering from advanced complications from the disease. 

The new course is part of collaboration between the University, the British Medical Journal and Royal College of Physicians, London, to help doctors across Pakistan improve their theoretical and practical knowledge of the disease. 

It will include modules covering managing diabetes, its complications, lifestyle and obesity management, inpatient diabetes control and how to handle comorbidities in diabetes. The course is open to all registered healthcare professionals who hold an MBBS degree. 

Diabetes not only reduces the quality of life of patients but also puts them at risk of a range of complications such as heart attack, stroke, kidney problems, nerve damage, serious eye problems and even disability. 

A total of 60 percent of non-traumatic lower limb amputations in Pakistan occurred in patients with diabetes. 

“To reduce the burden of complications of diabetes, physicians have to be well-equipped with the knowledge to confidently diagnose the disease and refer for tertiary care in the case of a complication or inability to achieve good control of diabetes,” Professor Najmul Islam, chair, section of endocrinology, department of medicine at AKU, and course director of the diabetes certificate course, remarked. 

The experts at the seminar shared that Pakistan’s healthcare professionals often lack the expertise to manage the disease adding that short courses can bridge the gap and equip clinicians to manage the high burden of diabetes in the country. 

The model of improving knowledge through educational courses for controlling and treating diabetes has proven to be effective worldwide. The studies in United Kingdom have shown that diabetes education in healthcare professionals can help in reducing the amputation rate, a condition that can develop in both type 1 and type 2 patients.

Partnership among physicians, nurses crucial to introduce Advanced Practice Nursing

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Introducing advanced practice nursing, particularly in countries with fragile healthcare systems, will be crucial to meeting the ever-increasing needs of patients and improving health outcomes said experts at a two-day virtual conference organized by the Aga Khan University Schools of Nursing and Midwifery in Pakistan and East Africa. 

The current COVID-19 pandemic has placed nurses in the spotlight and revealed the need for nursing expertise and experience as never before. In 2020, the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, governments and healthcare institutions are being called on to support, empower and advance the nursing profession. 

Advanced practice nursing, APN, is one of the most efficient ways of delivering high-quality, affordable and patient-focused care, accessible especially to those vulnerable groups and populations living in the remotest communities where other healthcare professionals may not reach. 

However, developing policies and strategies to support the transition process in order to integrate the APN model into the fabric of healthcare systems in Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda might be challenging and it will require collaborative efforts. 

Dr Rozina Karmaliani and Dr Eunice Ndirangu, Deans of the Schools in Pakistan and East Africa respectively, talked about the support required from the nursing regulatory bodies and government legislatures to build, develop and sustain the role of APNs.

“The government is working on important regulatory reforms for nursing. An important initiative that we will be taking is to improve the quality of nursing education at the graduate level that will consequently lead to better trained nurses from whom APNs will be developed in the future,” Dr Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, remarked. 

He also highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary partnership and collaboration amongst healthcare professionals, especially between physicians and nurses, to take this model forward. 

Afshan Nazly, President of the Pakistan Nursing Council, also present at the session, reinforced the need for cooperation and noted that embracing the APN model will be far easier if nurses and physicians work as allies, and if concentrated efforts are made to enhance the capacity and competency of nurses.

“The current Pakistan Nursing Council Act needs amendment and it should include the advanced practice nurses to make this model viable in the country,” she added. 

Global nursing leaders and APN experts from the United States, Canada and Kenya shared their experiences of pioneering this role in their respective regions and in the developing world, and the associated challenges and measures to mitigate issues. 

Chief Guest, Dr Afaf Meleis, Professor of Nursing and Sociology and Dean Emerita, University of Pennsylvania drew on her considerable years of nursing.

“From my own experience in leading APN programmes and witnessing APNs in action in different parts of the world, I want to offer you three principles vital in planning and effective utilization of APNs in healthcare: Integration of a collaborative healthcare model, of evidence-based training for APNs, of clarity of role and competencies for smooth functioning; the potential of Innovation and problem-solving skills in advanced nursing practice and Influence and impact that APNs can create in health outcomes.” Dr Maria W. O’Rourke, Clinical Professor of Nursing at the University of California San Francisco, the keynote speaker identified and shared an APN implementation framework from a more universal perspective.

“Health and illness are a complex, multifaceted experiences and to meet those needs, we need people with specialised knowledge, skills and especially, the ones who are accessible in both rural and urban settings,” Dr O’Rourke elaborated.

The University Hospital’s leadership, including Dean Medical College Dr Adil Haider and Interim CEO, AKUH, Shagufta Hassan supported this initiative and shared willingness to facilitate the integration of APNs at the AKUH. 

Dr Elissa Ladd from the International Council of Nursing’s Advanced Practice Nursing Network pointed out that hundreds of millions of people around the world are able to access quality, safe and affordable healthcare services as nurses make the largest group of healthcare providers, particularly in the primary care setting. 

“In this context, it is not surprising that an investment made on the nursing workforce can yield significant improvement in patient care outcomes,” she added. 

The event also commemorated SONAM’s 40 years in Pakistan and 20 years in East Africa. Six APN competency-building workshops were offered online and attended by nurses and midwives from Afghanistan, Canada, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, UAE, Uganda, USA and the UK.

PASNO conducts study of brain tumors

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Brain tumors have one of the lowest survival rates of all types of cancer in Pakistan yet there is little research into the prevalence of the disease, success of different treatment options and ways to improve patient outcomes, the speakers at the inaugural symposium of the Pakistan Society of Neuro-oncology (PASNO) noted at the Aga Khan University (AKU) noted.

The members of PASNO, a multidisciplinary platform spanning researchers, surgeons, oncologists, allied health professionals and basic scientists in the field of neuro-oncology, discussed preliminary findings of a nationwide study that will gather data from close to 50 collaborating centers and will eventually include the treatment history of up to 10,000 patients. 

Preliminary findings from the study suggested that Pakistan doesn’t have as many high-grade tumors as the developed world. However, patients of brain cancer tend to be of a younger age than in the West.

“Neuro-oncology has been largely ignored as a specialty in Pakistan. As a result, not only do our patients continue to receive delayed or suboptimal care, but the skills of our teams remains deficient. Although the data being collected is only a fraction of what will be achieved in the next several months, besides several interesting demographic features it is becoming obvious that a large number of brain tumor patients are receiving fragmented care in Pakistan. This study will help us understand the true burden of brain cancer in Pakistan,” Professor Syed Ather Enam, a neurosurgeon who chairs the department of surgery at AKU and is the founding president of PASNO, observed.

He stressed that a large number of brain tumor patients require a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. While these different modalities of treatment can be carried out at different centers, it all needs to be orchestrated from one hub to obtain the best results, he added. PASNO is the first venture of its kind in Pakistan.

It aims to bring all specialists involved in the management of neuro-oncology to a common platform to improve not just the care of patients but also improve education, training and research in the field. Such societies are now common in developed countries where they have been shown to improve the overall care of patients. 

New developments in the field were also discussed at the meeting including precision medicine, molecular diagnosis, state of the art operative techniques and technologies, and the potential of artificial intelligence to improve the diagnosis of brain tumors. 

At present, neuro-oncologists have to conduct a series of tests and processes in addition to interpreting MRIs, or scans of the brain, to decide on whether to operate on a patient. Artificial intelligence could uncover hidden information in MRI scans, which are often missed by professionals, and help determine which patients really need surgery, the speakers added. 

The participants in the inaugural session of the seminar had the unique opportunity of hearing the perspective of brain tumor patients and caregivers. One such patient, Yasser Latif Hamdani, underwent awake brain tumor surgery in 2017 and then in 2020. After the first surgery, he went on to study at Harvard University and to publish a biography on Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. 

The speakers reckoned that platforms like PASNO are coming up in other parts of the world and play a key role in bringing together experts from various cancer specialties to ensure the patient receives comprehensive and optimum care. 

During the inaugural ceremony, PASNO received endorsements from many neuro-oncology societies across the world, including the Society of Neuro-oncology from North America, the European Association of Neuro-oncology, the Asian Society of Neuro-oncology, the World Federation of Neuro-oncology and the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society. Over 50 speakers from 13 countries participated in the three-day virtual symposium.

95% COVID-19 patients asymptomatic: Study

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

More than 9 out of 10 people infected with coronavirus (COVID-19) experience have had no symptoms of the disease, a new study, carried out by the Aga Khan University (AKU) researchers, revealed.

Karachi has the most COVID-19 cases in Pakistan and the study saw AKU faculty investigate COVID-19’s prevalence in parts of the city with high and low rates of transmission in the community in April and June 2020. 

They found out that 95 percent of those who tested positive for COVID-19 through blood tests, which register the presence of antibodies to fight the disease, reported feeling no symptoms of the illness such as a cough, fever or sore throat. In other words, they were asymptomatic. 

The proportion of asymptomatic cases in Pakistan is much higher than the developed world. Since asymptomatic people do not seek hospital treatment this may help explain why Pakistan’s hospitals have not been under the same strain as in Spain and the UK, according to researchers. 

The results also indicated that children and adolescents are just as likely to catch the disease as adults. Men and women face the same risk of being infected. 

The study also confirmed a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases between April and June this year from 0.2 per cent to 8.7 per cent in low community transmission areas such as Ibrahim Hyderi, and from 0.4 per cent to 15.1 percent in high community transmission sites like Safoora Goth, Faisal Cantonment, Pehlwan Goth and Dalmia/Shanti Nagar.

These results were in line with the federal government’s national seroprevalence study where antibody testing found that overall, 11 percent of Pakistanis had contracted the disease.

“The sharp increase in antibody levels in an area with low reported cases indicates that the virus continues to spread unchecked in populations where testing rates are sub-optimal,” Dr Imran Nisar, an assistant professor at AKU and co-investigator on the study, remarked.

Over 2,000 participants were engaged in the first two phases of the study. The researchers are currently undertaking a third serosurvey and plan to do a fourth in September 2020. These surveys will show the impact of easing lockdowns around Eid-ul-Azha and the impact of the Muharram processions on the coronavirus transmission rate in communities.

"Antibody testing or seroprevalence provides a true picture of the burden of COVID-19 as they capture asymptomatic cases who represent silent carriers of the disease. Understanding how, when and in what types of settings, COVID-19 spreads is critical to developing effective public health and infection prevention measures to break chains of transmission,” Dr Fyezah Jehan, an associate professor at AKU and co-investigator on the study, explained.

AKU’s Dr Nadia Ansari and Dr Mashal Amin as well as US-based international collaborators Dr Bailey Fosdick and Dr Daniel Barremore also contributed to the study.

Pakistan’s university students teach globally

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Over 1,250 high school students from over a hundred cities across Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates took part in a weeklong series of virtual, medical research courses organised by Aga Khan University’s Student Research Forum, SRF. 

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted high school education around the world and has given teenage students the time and opportunity to enhance their skills in a variety of areas such as research and academic writing. 

For many participants, this was their first chance to gain an insight into how to conduct research that generates knowledge in novel areas of medicine and helps physicians assess the value of different types of treatment. 

"The world of research can be intimidating to many young students. Cost represents another barrier as online courses on research skills have high registration and certification charges. Through this course, we wanted to help our younger colleagues add another string to their bow and empower them to pursue their passion for research,” Ali Aahil Noorali, a final year student at AKU’s Medical College, and SRF president, observed. 

The free of cost, introductory sessions witnessed students alongside faculty from AKU’s Medical College explain the research process, analytical methods as well as key writing and referencing techniques to younger students. 

"Research is just like an adventure with so many unknowns to discover. Through this course, which is one of the first for pre-university students, we wanted to give more young people the chance to experience the thrill of conducting their own research experiments and the wonderful surprise that comes when you stumble upon an unexpected finding," Maha Inam, a third year student at AKU’s Medical College and SRF’s director of workshops, added. 

The workshop followed a similar series of free of charge, open-to-all introductory research courses aimed at medical university students in June 2020 that was attended by over 3,500 participants from over 30 cities in Pakistan. 

"Clinical medicine and clinical research have a symbiotic relationship. The more you research, the better your clinical practice and the more observations you make during your practice, the better your research. At the end of the day, medicine is a science and not just a profession and that’s why we want to help all students develop their research skills," Asma Merchant, a fourth year student at AKU’s Medical College and SRF’s vice president, " stated. 

The workshops were organised over Zoom livestream in collaboration with AKU’s Office of Student Experience in Pakistan.

75% Pakistanis stressed due to pandemic: Study

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Three out of four Pakistani adults are suffering from moderate or high levels of stress during this COVID-19 pandemic while nearly one in three are experiencing moderate or severe anxiety, according to the preliminary findings of a mental health study conducted by the Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi. 

The researchers from the department of community health sciences (CHS) conducted an online survey of 373 respondents between April and May, the study’s first phase, using validated screening tools to determine if people had generalized anxiety disorder, perceived stress or both conditions. More than 90 per cent of the participants were from Sindh and Punjab. 

The respondents ranked the top three causes of anxiety and stress as being fear of contracting the virus, financial losses during the pandemic and losing a loved one to COVID-19. 

The survey participants were much more concerned about their loved ones catching the disease with nearly eight out of ten respondents, or 76 percent, feeling a lot of fear or extreme fear of those close to them falling ill. In contrast, four of ten respondents, or 36 per cent, reported a lot of fear or extreme fear about catching the virus themselves. 

“The pandemic has exposed our social and economic vulnerabilities and created widespread uncertainty in society. If left unchecked, stress associated with COVID-19 can lead to distress and the distress can lead to disease,” Professor Sameen Siddiqi, the CHS department chair, observed.

“Those already suffering from anxiety and stress are especially vulnerable to advanced illnesses such as depression and other mental health disorders,” Maryam Lakhdir, the study’s principal investigator and a senior instructor in the CHS department, reckoned. 

“The findings suggest that we are at risk of a mental health crisis during a pandemic. Policymakers must prioritise psychosocial interventions to limit the chances of long-lasting scars on our mental health,” she added. 

The study also found a high correlation between exposure to rumours via WhatsApp and anxiety or stress, since more than eight out of ten respondents suffering from the two conditions were using this social media platform as the respondents frequently checking the news also had more anxiety and stress. 

“Misinformation, conspiracy theories, and rumour mongering are likely to lead to mental health issues during the pandemic,” Dr Romaina Iqbal, the lead of CHS’s non-communicable diseases and mental health section, pointed out. 

The study will continue to enroll participants until the end of August and findings will continue to be released to monitor changes in the population’s mental health. 

Dr Iqbal Azam from AKU’s department of community health sciences, Apsara Ali, a research specialist from AKU’s department of paediatrics and child health, and graduate students in epidemiology and biostatistics, Drs Ghazal Peerwani and Hareem Fatima, were also involved in the study.

Free mental therapy training for parents of special children launched

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

The Aga Khan University (AKU) has partnered with a range of organizations to launch free, online capacity building sessions for parents of children with mental health issues and developmental disorders whose treatment has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The initiative brings together professionals from across the country including developmental paediatricians, speech and occupational therapists, child psychiatrists, paediatric psychologists and student volunteers.

The sessions will see parents receive training on how to deliver rehabilitative care and essential therapies at home if they are unable to access the usual support. For example, instructors will guide parents on how to provide therapies to help children with developmental delays to improve their functional independence, and assist parents in managing behavioural issues that have emerged during the pandemic. Direct sessions between therapists and adolescents facing psychological challenges will also be offered, emphasising on stress management techniques. 

“Children dealing with development delays or behavioural disorders need ongoing, special attention. This pandemic has widened disparities in access to essential mental healthcare and our initiative seeks to help parents continue therapy for their children at home,” Dr Ayesha Mian, associate professor of psychiatry at the AKU, remarked. 

Many people are suffering from feelings of fear and anxiety due to the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. However, parents of children with special needs must also cope with the fear of their child’s development regressing due to the disruption in their therapy. 

“Children on the autism spectrum can regress and lose the gain they had made in speech therapy. Those with conduct disorders may become aggressive towards siblings or pets. Adolescent boys and girls may find changes in mood, sleep or appetite. Such behaviours may get worse with a gap in care,” Fatima Karim, one of the initiative’s lead organisers and a master’s degree student at the AKU, observed. 

“For a developing nation like ours, this initiative would be a game changer in terms of cost-effective provision of mental health support to all eligible children based on their needs rather than diagnostic labels. For professionals, this is an opportunity to equip themselves with innovative health care delivery skills and help parents support their children,” Dr Sidra Kaleem Jafri, assistant professor of pediatrics and child health at the AKU, stated. 

Considering the need for such support for parents, Dr Sarah Saleem, professor of community health sciences at AKU and the principal investigator of the project, mentioned that the team hopes to continue the project until the lockdowns are eased. 

The initiative is part of a large coalition, Pakistan COVID Mental Health Response, which offers free mental health services through various programmes to those affected by distress during the pandemic.

The partners include AKU’s departments of community health sciences, psychiatry, and paediatrics and child health; Taskeen Health Initiative; Interactive Research & Development; Saaya Health Tech; and the Community Innovation Hub through Sehat Kahani. 

The programme is being supported by the British Asian Trust, CareTech and Cosaraf Charitable Foundation. Parents or guardians can book an appointment for free training sessions by sending an email to camh@aku.edu or by calling the helpline 021-37136019.