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AKU celebrates efforts of nurses and midwives

Announces plan to launch first Advanced Practice Nursing training in Pakistan

Our Correspondent May 19, 2022

Nurses celebrate their graduation by throwing their mortarboards up in the air. The degrees were conferred by the Aga Khan University at the convocation ceremony on Saturday. PHOTOS: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

KARACHI:

A seminar organised by The Aga Khan University (AKU) celebrated the nurses and midwives of Pakistan at the varsity's premises in Karachi.

The speakers at seminar highlighted various challenges faced by the nursing and midwifery cadre, their invaluable contribution to the healthcare system and the proposed strategy to improve the working conditions as well as career growth opportunities for them.

The event was attended by health care experts, academicians, policy makers, students and of course, the nurses and midwives in practice.

The AKU leadership announced their plan to launch Pakistan's first ever Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) Training in Pakistan to instil leadership in and empower nurses and midwives for more autonomous nursing practice roles.

AKU President Sulaiman Shahabuddin was the event's chief guest who praised the efforts of the nurses and midwives. He said, "We celebrate the countless contributions that nurses and midwives make every day to our health and wellbeing. WHO has highlighted four key areas of investment to promote nursing and midwifery: education, jobs, leadership and service delivery to meet Universal Health Targets and align with the specific outcomes of Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing."

He added, "AKU has been working on these areas since the last four decades. 41 years ago, our Chancellor His Highness the Aga Khan launched AKU School of Nursing & Midwifery with a bold mission to transform the role of nursing in Pakistan and globally. Today, we are so proud that AKU has graduated more than 8,000 nurses in Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda."

Professor Lisa Bayliss-Pratt, Program Director at Nursing Now Challenge, Sandra Oyarzo Torres, VP at International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)and Dr Zeenat S Khan, Regional CEO, Aga Khan Health Services shared special messages with the nurses and midwives.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2022.