Poster and model competition: A new spin on old health messages

DUHS students creatively tackle health hazards plaguing society.

KARACHI:

Health hazards plaguing society were creatively tackled by students of Dow College of Pharmacy (DCP), Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) at a poster and model competition at the university’s Ojha campus on Wednesday.

Young artists used their imagination to reiterate old health messages on issues such as smoking, which is among the leading causes of death.

The competition aimed at encouraging students to understand and raise awareness on health issues, according to a press statement.

The chief guest, and Pakistan pharmacy council’s vice-president, Dr Fareed Khan, encouraged patients and health professionals to turn to pharmacists as a principal resource of information. DUHS vice chancellor Professor Masood Hameed agreed. “We receive more and more patients each year and the trend will probably continue because of the increasing number of chronic diseases,” he said.

“Clinical pharmacists can act as primary sources to provide scientifically valid information and advice on the safe, appropriate and cost-effective use of medications,” said Dr Raheela Najam, the pharmacology department chairperson at the University of Karachi (KU).

The posters and models were reviewed by a jury, which included Dr Fareed Khan, Professor Masood Hameed Khan, Dr Raheela Najam, Dr Rabia Haris, assistant professor for the department of pharmaceutics at KU, Dr Shamim Akhter, and assistant professor for the department of pharmaceutical chemistry at KU, Dr Farzana Sadaf. Students were awarded cash prizes, appreciation certificate and shields after the exhibition.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2011.