By Rafiq Vayani
KARACHI: Aga Khan University (AKU), in collaboration with Exemplars in Global Health, the Gates Foundation, and Results for Development (R4D), will host a two-day international conference titled “Harnessing Cross-Country Lessons to Strengthen Evidence-Informed Policymaking in Pakistan” on July 8–9, 2026, at the AKU Auditorium in Karachi.
The conference will bring together leading policymakers, researchers, academics, and development partners from Pakistan and around the world to explore how global health evidence and successful international experiences can be adapted to strengthen Pakistan’s health systems and policymaking processes.
Through a series of discussions and country case studies from Kenya, Malawi, Bolivia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, participants will examine key issues including family planning, sexual and reproductive health, climate-health linkages, and the role of academia in shaping effective public policy. The event aims to foster collaboration and develop practical strategies for translating research into impactful health reforms.
Prominent speakers include Dr. Sulaiman Shahabuddin, President of Aga Khan University; Dr. Muhammad Amjad Saqib, Founder and Chairman of Akhuwat; Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad, Minister of State for National Health Services; Dr. Tania Bubela, Provost of AKU; Prof. Seye Abimbola of the University of Sydney; Prof. Zulfiqar Bhutta, Founding Director of IGHD, AKU; and Dr. James Blanchard, Executive Director of the Institute for Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, among other distinguished experts.
