On August 28th, Mr. Farman Ullah, the Principal Investigator and Project Initiator of the “11 for Health in Pakistan” project, met with Prof. Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, the current Vice Chancellor of Health Services Academy (HSA) in Islamabad, Pakistan. During their discussion, Mr. Farman Ullah provided a detailed overview of the “11 for Health in Pakistan” project, outlining its background and recent progress, along with Prof. Ejaz Asghar Mughal, Head of Allied Health & Sport Sciences Department, HSA. Prof. Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan expressed a strong commitment to collaborate comprehensively with the project team to expand this groundbreaking practical-based football fitness and health education project in primary and high schools, with plans for nationwide implementation. This initiative represents a pioneering effort in Pakistan, marking the introduction of a physical and health education program that is both theoretically sound and practically valuable in Pakistani campuses for the first time.
Health Services Academy is a leading giant in Public Health education and research. Serving as a national hub for public health knowledge transfer and policy advice, HSA has established working partnerships with international health organizations, including close ties with the World Health Organization (WHO). The Health and Population Think Tank at HSA focuses on multi-sectoral collaborations to shape deliberate public health policies. During COVID-19, HSA was involved in all major COVID-19-related projects across the country.
Leveraging its extensive experiences and esteemed reputation in public health and disease prevention, HSA is the ideal institute to collaborate on the “11 for Health in Pakistan” project. With strong connections to international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) like WHO and UNICEF, HSA can play a pivotal role in promoting this initiative. As suggested by Mr. Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, Federal Secretary of Education, the project will expand to more public schools in Islamabad in the near future. We are optimistic that our collaboration with HSA will foster strong partnerships between the government, universities, INGOs, and local communities, bridging gaps in physical and health education research in Pakistan.