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Pakistan Lancet Series launch

May 21, 2013: As Pakistan begins its voyage in reforming its healthcare infrastructure, Heartfile and Aga Khan University jointly hosted the launch of the Pakistan Lancet Series at Comstech Auditorium in Islamabad on May 17, 2013. The series titled Health Transitions in Pakistan was revealed by Dr. Richard Horton, Chief-in-Editor of the Lancet. The Series Editors, Dr. Sania Nishtar, Federal Minister, Government of Pakistan and Prof. Zulfiqar Bhutta, the founding director of the Center of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University were joined at the panel by Dr. Richard Horton, Prof. Tazeen Jaffar of Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore and Dr. Abdul Ghaffar, Executive Director of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, WHO, Geneva. The meeting opened with a video message by Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of WHO who praised the formation of the health division in Pakistan. The four papers published were then presented by the panelists.

Pakistan Lancet Series launch

Pakistan Lancet Series launch




Pakistan’s health system: performance and prospects after the 18th Constitutional Amendment

Nishtar S, Boerma T, Amjad S, et al. Pakistan’s health system: performance and prospects after the 18th Constitutional Amendment. Lancet 2013 May 16. doi:pii: S0140-6736(13)60019-7. 10.1016/S0140-6736(13 )60019-7.

Accessible here




Health reform in Pakistan: a call to action

Nishtar S, Bhutta ZA, Jafar TH, et al. Health reform in Pakistan: a call to action. Lancet. 2013 May 16. doi:pii: S0140-6736(13)60813-2. 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60813-2.

Accessible here




Heartfile endorses the Cervical Cancer Global Crisis Card Launch in Pakistan

May 13, 2013: Cervical cancer kills an estimated 275,000 women every year and 500,000 new cases are reported worldwide. Cervical Cancer-Free Coalition, a US-based research and advocacy group released their first Cervical Cancer Global Crisis Card globally on Friday, May 10, 2013. According to this report, Pakistan was ranked seventh in cervical cancer death statistics. The press release for the cervical cancer global crisis card upon its Pakistan launch can be viewed here which quotes Dr. Sania Nishtar’s concerns profusely who calls for an immediate intervention post elections.




Heartfile hosted the 2nd Aman Ki Asha Indo-Pak Health Forum in conjunction with Dividends: the 2ndAman ki Asha Economic Conference on May 6-7 in Lahore, Pakistan. The theme of the forum focused on “Trading Health Innovations




Cover Story: The Quadruple Burden of Disease [Interview with Dr. Sania Nishtar] by Farrukh Chishtie and Jawad Chishtie, Subhnau Magazine, May 2013 Edition