Daily Times

To develop greater collaboration between healthcare experts and the media, Agha Khan University Hospital (AKUH) organised the first ever Health Media Conference on Saturday in partnership with the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications in Kenya and the Centre for Innovation in Medical Education.

During the conference, veteran journalist Muhammad Ziauddin gave a keynote address in which he talked about the need for specialised skills training for health reporters to strengthen the information provided to the public. “Every beat [of journalistic reporting] has it’s own peculiar language. Health reporters need specific training,” said Muhammad Ziauddin.

The Conference featured panels by AKUH doctors on health trends, preventative health measures and social taboos that arise in healthcare settings. On the occasion, leading doctors in women’s health, children’s health, heart disease, family medicine, kidney and bladder disease, mental health, infectious diseases and other areas shared information with the media on where they saw a great need for awareness amongst the public and what trends they were noticing in Pakistan. The rise in psychosocial issues, adolescent health issues, heart disease amongst children, water-borne diseases was also discussed extensively in the conference. During the conference, leaders from AKUH including the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Asim Belgaumi and Chief Nursing Officer, Ms. Salma Jaffer also spoke about the role of the institution in raising healthcare standards across the country.

AKUH doctors spoke about major research projects underway and collaboration with the government in training public healthcare worker and hospital administrators, and making health services across the country.

The Conference also served as discussion platform for journalists and healthcare providers to determine how to overcome challenges in making health information available and report in stories of health. The Aga Khan University demonstrated its commitment to public health communications by its extensive use of social media where they share information videos on preventative health, nutrition, understanding diseases and treatment, strengthening health systems and its public-private partnerships. Journalists from numerous media houses were present.

Published in Daily Times, July 1^st 2018.