Aga Khan University Officially Launches SDSN Pakistan With a Focus on Health

SDSN Pakistan recently had its official launch event from March 6-7 2022. The new network was officially established in January 2021. Pakistan has several strong universities, many of them known for their engineering disciplines, crucial to promoting solution initiatives for some of the most critical challenges of the country.

In the honorable presence of Professor Jeffrey Sachs as the keynote speaker, the seminar served to launch Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Pakistan (SDSN Pakistan), a newly formed national structure housed within the Institute for Global Health and Development, Aga Khan University (IGHD, AKU). It will convene the country’s most prominent experts to shed light on challenges faced by Pakistan and address questions regarding interventions, building resilience, planning processes, and developing multi-sectoral collaborations.

The seminar introduced a three-year project called ‘Driving Inter-sectoral Strategies to Progress on Health and Health-related Sustainable Development Goals (HHSDGs): Building a Consortium to address Climate Change, Health, and Complex Challenges (CHOICE)’ . CHOICE aims to improve health and wellbeing and address inequality in low- and middle-income countries of Asia and Africa. It is jointly overseen by the IGHD, AKU and Centre for Global Child Health at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Canada, with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Aga Khan Foundation, Canada.

Prince Rahim Aga Khan, Chair, Environment and Climate Committee of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) provided the opening remarks via video. He was joined by the University leadership including Dr Zulfiqar A Bhutta, Distinguished University Professor & Chair, SDSN Pakistan.

View statements from the launch event:

https://youtu.be/TnWEE6SaIro?list=PL6V0_aWKW_aSNJA-a7L3y_X8vc0AQ7__j