Aga Khan University

Experience

The Aga Khan University has a strong focus on research and provides support to its researchers in various forms. AKU has a full-fledged Research Office (Office of Sponsored Programmes) that provides active support to faculty in developing high impact research projects including systematic reviews and analyses. The Dean of Medical College is also a strong advocate and supporter of research and analyses at the University and provides active support in terms of advice and some seed funds. The University also has a grants and contracts office that specializes in undertaking extramural grants management both in terms of pre and post-award management and financial administration. The Division of Women and Child Health is well-acclaimed of its technical expertise in conducting review-based as well as community-based research projects for over a decade.

Research interests

The University has strong, strategic ties with stakeholders including but not limited to Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, the recently established Ministry of Food Security, National Program for Family Planning and Primary Health Care, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health care Program, Expanded Program on Immunisation, Planning Commission and various other entities. Not only this, the University over years because of its reputation has been able to develop and strengthen good professional relationships with provincial and district level administration in the country. From donors’ side, AKU has to its credit various grants pertinent to systematic reviews (from WHO, NIH, BMGF, Wellcome Trust, DFID, UNICEF, Nestle Nutrition Institute and others) and has delivered timely on all.

The Review group at AKU headed by Dr Bhutta is well experienced in conducting systematic reviews. The Division has played a key role in generating and collating the evidence-base for interventions in key areas of newborn and child health, nutrition, and integrated strategies in primary care settings.All of them have been published as several lead series in the Lancet as well as a recent comprehensive review of interventions to prevent stillbirths in developing countries in BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth. The group also is actively involved in conducting reviews for the various Cochrane review groups including major contributions for the Pregnancy and Childbirth, Effective Practice and Organization of Care, Infectious Diseases, Neonatal, Acute Respiratory Infections, Public Health and Developmental, Psychosocial and Learning Problems groups.

The Division has been regularly conducting Cochrane training workshops for capacity building annually in alliance with The Cochrane Collaboration since 2005. AKU also has partnership with the South Asia Cochrane center.

Disease areas

• Cancer
• Chagas
• Cholera
• Dengue
• Enteric diseases
• Influenza
• Malaria
• Maternal Health
• Mental Health
• Neuro Infections
• Newborn Health
• Other
• Respiratory Diseases
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
• TB

Documents