No sooner had she returned from inspecting and evaluating HOPE’s Muzaffargarh school, Dr Mubina Agboatwalla, Chairperson of HOPE and child specialist in Karachi received a call from Nur Foundation / Nur Center For Research & Policy to not only participate in the Seminar being held at Lahore but also be its chief speaker for the day. The theme of the Seminar was ‘Creating Imperative Urgency To Effectively Institutionalize The School Health Programme In Education System In Punjab’ A very important issue in Pakistan and since Dr Mubina Agboatwalla, Chairperson of HOPE and child specialist in Karachi a vastly experienced and respected personality, professionally related to both health and education, stood out as the best choice to share her views and advise best possible suggestions to effectively amalgamate health within Punjab’s schooling system – an invitation was forwarded to her which she generously accepted.
HOPE, an educational NGO in Pakistan runs several full-fledged primary to secondary schools not just in Karachi but also in interior Sindh, southern Punjab and all the way up to Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Plus over two hundred home schools spread almost all over Pakistan. In the health sector HOPE a health oriented NGO in Pakistan has two fully equipped Maternity hospitals in Karachi, one in Thatta and one in Sujawal and several basic health units in rural Sindh and Baluchistan. Therefore, Dr Mubina Agboatwalla, Chairperson of HOPE and child specialist in Karachi who is the real force behind the successful and efficient running of all the educational and health institutions of HOPE, was asked to speak on how to best focus resources on effective school health and in making a fresh start to improving the quality and equity of education.
Good health and nutrition are not only essential inputs but also important outcomes of basic education of good quality. First, children must be healthy and well-nourished in order to fully participate in education and gain its maximum benefits. Early childhood care programs and primary schools which improve children’s health and nutrition can enhance learning and educational outcomes of school children. Second, education of good quality can lead to better health and nutrition outcomes for children , especially girls and thus for the next generation of children as well. In addition, a healthy, safe and secure school environment can help protect children from health hazards, abuse and exclusion.
Dr Mubina’s views, comments and suggestions were very keenly heard, appreciated and recorded for future use. Since the whole program was in conjunction with the Punjab Government’s health policies, chances of implementation of the major factors discussed in the seminar were much greater.
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