AKU-IED, Sindh Government establish a landmark partnership for inclusive education

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

In a move set to reshape how Pakistan educates children with disabilities, the Sindh Cabinet has approved a five-year partnership between the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) and the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED). The Memorandum of Understanding was signed recently at the Chief Minister House in Karachi. 

The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, who witnessed the signing, called it “not merely an agreement” but “a solemn commitment to every child with disabilities in Sindh that their dreams matter, their potential is recognized, and their future will no longer be limited by barriers." 

The partnership will establish an Inclusion and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Unit at AKU-IED, for training, research, and innovation that will house sensory rooms, therapy spaces and dedicated resource centres. The initiative aims to train more than 2,000 educators and, through them, reach an estimated half a million school children over the next five years. 

According to UNICEF, an estimated 96% of children with disabilities in Pakistan are out of school, with Sindh bearing a large proportion of this burden due to poverty, gender disparities, and limited functional accessibility. Overall, Sindh has 7.4 million out-of-school children, where disability acts as a major compounding barrier to attendance. 

"For too long, children with disabilities have been invisible in our education system. Today, we are making a promise to every family in Sindh that their children matter,” Tuaha Ahmed Faruqui, Secretary of DEPD, stated.

The initiative's most ambitious commitment is workforce transformation. AKU-IED will deliver modular courses, Training-of-Trainers programmes, and certification pathways to more than 2,000 educators. Its Bachelor of Education degree will offer specialization in inclusive education with monthly stipends. 

Beyond training, the collaboration establishes a province-wide research and advocacy agenda: baseline assessments, implementation evaluations, and annual policy commissions to inform government decisions. Biennial SEN conferences and policy seminars will convene experts and advocates, while public education campaigns will produce multimedia resources, toolkits, and community sensitisation initiatives to shift mindsets about disability inclusion. 

"This is not just an institutional milestone. It is a commitment to every child in Sindh who has been waiting for an education system that sees them, hears them, and empowers them," Professor Farid Panjwani, Dean, AKU-IED, reckoned. 

The Government of Sindh will provide grant funding, while AKU-IED contributes expertise and institutional resources. The SEN Unit will develop a strategic roadmap designed to sustain impact well beyond the five-year term. 

“The true measure of an education system is whether it reaches those who have historically been left furthest behind. By preparing teachers and schools to educate children with special needs, this partnership will help to ensure that all our children have the opportunity to fulfill their potential,” Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, President, AKU, recognized. 

The partnership envisions a Sindh where every child, regardless of ability, finds belonging, understanding, and empowerment in their classroom, a future now within reach.

AKU launches pediatrics manual to strengthen child healthcare

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Aga Khan University (AKU) has launched the AKU Manual of Pediatrics, a free, locally developed clinical resource created “by clinicians, for clinicians” to support the diagnosis and management of common childhood conditions in Pakistan. 

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Developed in collaboration with the AKU's Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, the manual provides evidence-based guidance for pediatricians, family physicians, medical officers, residents, and other healthcare professionals and is available free through the AKU Manual website and mobile application. 

The manual was unveiled at a ceremony attended by the Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Syed Mustafa Kamal, as chief guest. 

"Strengthening Pakistan's health care system requires practical, actionable, evidence-based solutions that support our health care professionals. The AKU Manual of Pediatrics is an important step towards improving the quality and consistency of child health care, and I commend Aga Khan University on this valuable contribution," the Federal Health Minister noted. 

The ceremony brought together leaders from government, academia, professional bodies, and the healthcare community, including representatives of the Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA), Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Armed Forces Postgraduate Medical Institute (AFPGMI), Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN), together with pediatric leaders and healthcare professionals. 

Developed by the AKU's Centre for Clinical Best Practices with the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, the manual provides 88 evidence-based clinical practice guidelines across 14 pediatric subspecialties. 

It is designed for pediatricians, family physicians, residents, medical officers, and other health care professionals, offering bedside-ready, point-of-care guidance tailored to Pakistan's context. Its Editor-in-Chief is Dr Adil H Haider, former Dean of AKU Medical College. 

The programme featured keynote addresses and a panel discussion on the role of locally developed guidelines in improving pediatric care and outcomes, before the official digital launch. 

“The AKU Manual of Pediatrics reflects a deeper purpose: to place reliable knowledge in the hands of those who care for children. When clinical decisions are guided by evidence, informed by global science, and rooted in local realities, we move closer to a health system in which every child has a fairer chance at life and health,” the AKU President, Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, observed. 

"Science is universal, but practice is always local. When evidence generated elsewhere needs to be applied in Pakistan, it needs to be understood, adapted and trusted. Our manual is a step towards bridging that gap," Prof Dr Fyezah Jehan, Chair of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at AKU, added. 

The manual is available free of charge through a mobile application and the University’s website.