Pakistan SIG
Who are we?
We are a group of public health professionals who have delivered at all levels of the UK National Health Service and UK Public Health System. The Pakistan SIG has a broad membership from diverse backgrounds and has a keen interest in shaping public health in Pakistan. Many of us have been supporting Pakistan on a variety of health issues for over a decade.
What is our expertise?
Our expertise lies in the following key areas:
- Health policy
- Health strategies and implementation
- Communicable disease management and surveillance
- Non-communicable disease prevention
- Health service quality and efficiency
- Hospital management, regulation & monitoring
- Health economics
How could our skills and expertise help Pakistan?
The FPH Pakistan SIG is seeking opportunities to support and collaborate with the Pakistan Government, academic institutions and NGOs in a number of areas such as:
- Advise on developing public health policies which could prevent illness, reduce costs and improve health outcomes and public confidence in the health care system. For example reform of primary care or family medicine could make a dramatic impact on non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and diabetes and reduce the burden on secondary care organisations.
- Support development of strategies for leading causes of population mortality and morbidity. For example cancer is a major cause of death and has catastrophic costs for individuals e.g. Implementing tobacco control policies and establishing a cancer registry.
- Support the development of high impact and sustainable health promoting policies e.g. maternal and child health, environmental health, healthy cities and waste management.
- Mobilize many of the Pakistani diaspora doctors in the UK to support the health agenda in Pakistan.
- We can help mainstream Public Health concepts at all levels of health care including primary, secondary and tertiary care.
- Develop the skills and competence of the Public Health work force to enable the above changes.
- To help strengthen the control of communicable diseases such as hepatitis, tuberculosis and measles to name but a few, and support areas of work such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), infection control and disaster management in Pakistan.
A summary of recent SIG activity is available here.
A report of the second Annual International Public Health Conference held in Peshawar, Pakistan from 25-27 February 2020 is available here. Representatives of the Pakistan SIG both attended and presented at the conference.
Contact
The Pakistan Special Interest Group is chaired by Samia Latif and Mohammad Ali, with Zafar Iqbal as the Vice-chair. You can reach the SIG Chair at PakistanSIG@fph.org.uk.
The SIG reports to the Faculty's Global Health Committee.
Members of the SIG's executive group are Anjum Memon (academic lead), Fazal Rahman (trainee lead), and Mamoona Tahir, Muhammad Abid and Usman Khan (exec members).
Join the Pakistan SIG
FPH members can join this SIG by logging into their FPH members’ portal account, selecting the ‘Committees/SIGs’ button and choosing the correct SIG. You will then be asked to provide a few details, following which your application will be automatically approved. Further details on FPH membership are available here.
Vision and Aims
Our vision is to support the development of a resilient and supportive healthcare system in Pakistan.
- Academic and research collaboration: Develop research/academic collaborations between UK and Pakistan to support research and innovation in public health.
- Enhance emergency preparedness: Strengthen the healthcare system’s ability to respond to emergencies and public health crises effectively.
- Reducing health inequalities: Identifying and working collaboratively with local and national leaders to reduce health inequalities in Pakistan.
Workplan
Activity: Brunch and learn sessions: Identifying public health challenges in Pakistan our SIG members can help address
Outcome: Delivery of a learning session for Pakistan SIG members
Target date: Q4 2025
Name lead: Samia Latif, Mohammad Ali
Progress to date: Ongoing and aim to have a meeting by November 2025
Outputs: Planned online session
Activity: Develop a presentation/training on building research capacity in LMIC using People's Praxis.
Outcome: Delivering a workshop with early career researchers in Pakistan.
Target date: Q3 2025
Name lead: Anjum Memon; Mohammad Ali
Progress to date: Initial discussions have taken place
Outputs: Presentation
Activity: Expand on research opportunities on anaemia in rural Sindh province
Outcome: Expand on academic collaborations
Target date: Continuing work
Name lead: Anjum Memon, Mohammad Ali
Progress to date: Discussion with partners in Pakistan is ongoing. We have continued in our collaborations
Outputs: Publication/conference presentation
Activity: Develop a research programme evaluating the Sehat card programme in KPK
Outcome: Research grant submission
Target date: Q4 2025
Name lead: Mohammad Ali
Progress to date: Had meetings with stakeholders in Pakistan and academic in the UK
Outputs: Grant submission
Activity: Anti-microbial resistance: Apply global lessons to national advocacy campaign
Outcome: Design and develop an advocacy campaign
Target date: Q2 2025
Name lead: Samia Latif, Fazal Rahman
Progress to date: The work has started.
Outputs: Advocacy campaign, potential academic outputs.
Activity: Mobilise registrars and promote SIG membership/collaborate with other SIGs: Reach out to FPH registrars committee - invite registrars to join Pakistan SIG and take lead on relevant projects.
Outcome: Increase SIG membership
Target date: Continual
Name lead: Fazal Rahman, SIG members
Progress to date: Yet to start, Invite Speciality Registrar Committee (SRC) to our SIG meeting
Outputs: Continual outreach to public health professionals
Activity: To develop our network of mentors within the Pakistan SIG
Outcome: Increase the number of mentors and mentees using People’s Praxis
Target date: Q1 2025
Name lead: Samia Latif, Mohammad Ali, People's Praxis
Progress to date: Ongoing
Outputs: Develop mentor/mentee scheme for Pakistan SIG members
Activity: Palliative care: Advocacy for palliative care provision in Pakistan
Outcome: Gaps in evidence and advocacy of palliative care services in Pakistan/LMICs
Target date: Q1 2025
Name lead: Samia Latif
Progress to date: Initial meeting scheduled for May 2025
Outputs:
- We aim to conduct a scoping review and pilot a case study on awareness and access to palliative care treatment.
- Create awareness campaigns for practicing healthcare workers in Pakistan.
Activity: Expand FPH membership
Outcome: Nominate public health professional colleagues both in the UK and in Pakistan for honorary and distinction membership.
Target date: Ongoing
Name lead: Zafar, Samia
Progress to date: We have SIG members nominated to the FPH at various levels.
Outputs: Ensuring recognition of SIG member contributions to public health,
Activity: Strength provision of universal primary care/general practice in Pakistan
Outcome: Collaboration between FPH and KPK
Target date: Ongoing
Named lead: Zafar Ahmed, Jalil Khan
Progress to date: Initial meeting Q3 2025
Outputs: Presentation by KPK to SIG members of progress