The researchers, academicians and health professionals from around the country have agreed on a five-year 'National Health Research Agenda' (2017-2022) that identifies 18 key areas related to health in which research needs to be carried out.
In a colloquium organised by the University of Health Sciences (UHS), experts and representatives from various health institutions, universities and accrediting bodies including Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) and Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) reached a consensus on the areas where health research was most needed.
The priority areas identified in the research agenda include: (i) genetics including congenital defects and parental screening and counselling; (ii) reproductive health such as maternal health; (iii) child health including prenatal and neonatal, childhood areas such as birth asphyxia, sepsis, diarrhea, growth retardation, prematurely and nutritional deficiencies; (iv) autism; (v) communicable diseases such as polio, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, dengue and hepatitis, infection control; (vi) non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, cardio vascular diseases, injury prevention; (vii) mental health including depression, anxiety, suicide and substance abuse; (viii) malignancies especially breast cancer, colorectal carcinoma and haematological malignancies in children; (ix) oral health, promotion and diseases prevention including oral cancers, facial defects, oral infections and oral systemic connection; (x) one health, social and environmental determinants of health, food and animal linkages to human health, high altitude medicine and social taboos; (xi) health professionals education and researcher's capacity development; (xii) quality assurance and improvement including quality care and quality assurance of labs; (xiii) advance technology including biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics, telemedicine, molecular medicine, tissue engineering; (xiv) health systems and health policy research including surveillance and mapping, rapid preparedness, disaster management, human resource for health, health leadership, health education promotion to public (schools, madressas, mosques) and normal health data base; (xv) extremism and terrorism; (xvi) transfusion and transplantation medicine; (xvii) preventing health at different levels, biosafety, development of vaccines and antibiotics; (xviii) and occupational health.
The initial draft of the agenda was prepared by Professor Khalid Pervez Lone (Physiology), Professor Nadeem Afzal (Immunology), Dr Asima Kareem (Physiology), Dr Saqib Mehmood (Molecular Biology), Dr Shah Jahan (Immunology), Dr Saba Khaliq (Molecular Biology), Dr Saima Chaudhry (Oral Pathology), Professor Asghar Naqi (Surgery), Professor Sajid Nisar (Medicine), Professor Humayun Iqbal Khan (Pediatrics), Professor Zohra Khanum (Obs & Gynae), Professor Ayesha Arif (Pediatrics), Professor Waheedul Hameed (Orthodontics), Professor Shazia Maqbool (Behavioural Pediatrics), Professor Mohsin Gillani, (Surgery), Professor Khursheed Ahmed Khan (Medicine), Professor Sajid Nisar (Neurology) and Dr Usman Jawad (Family Medicine).
Chairman Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Professor Dr Muhammad Nizamuddin, who was the chief guest on this occasion, said the importance of health research has been recognised at all levels. "This is the first time a national health research agenda is going to be formulated to address the issue of health research which further endorses its role within a knowledge-based economy," he said while appreciating the efforts of UHS in this regard. He said that funds up to Rs 3.00 million per project were available with PHEC and urged the researchers to come up with new proposals.
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