<p><strong>​The Regional Director for Proparco, a Subsidiary of French Development Agency, Visits the Aga Khan University, Stadium Road Campus, Discusses Mutual Interest in Public Health, Sustainability, and Welfare Outreach​.</strong></p><p><strong>Diane Jegam, Regional Director, South Asia for Proparco,</strong> a subsidiary of French Development Agency (AFD), visited the Aga Khan University (AKU) Main Campus today. This was her first visit to the campus to rekindle the long-standing relationship between AFD and AKU, understand the work of the Aga Khan University Hospital and its Outreach Network across Pakistan, discuss pertinent issues of environmental protection and sustainability, and innovations in teaching.</p><p>During her visit, Ms. Jegam met with the leadership of AKUH and the Outreach Network, Pakistan, the Dean of the AKU Medical College, along with other leaders of the University and University Hospital. Matters related to public health, patient welfare support, and AKU&#39;s long-standing commitment to a sustainable future and innovation in medical education were discussed.</p><p>At the meeting, Dr Shahid Shafi, CEO, Aga Khan University Hospitals, Pakistan, spoke about the Hospital&#39;s impact and the commitment to the highest quality care standards. He also briefed the guest on AKU&#39;s impact through education, research, and healthcare delivery. He said, “AKU is a national asset of Pakistan, and our contributions became evident during the pandemic. We are committed to providing the highest quality care to our patients and advising our governments on public health matters.&quot;</p><p>Shagufta Hassan, CEO, Aga Khan University Outreach and Health Network, talked about AKUH&#39;s values of Impact, Quality, Relevance and Access, and how the outreach network is reaching out to the communities in far-flung areas and providing them access to quality care. “In 2021, we started our Hepatitis C eradication programme, in collaboration with Getz Pharma, Roche Pharmaceuticals and other private donors. In a little over eight months, we have screened almost 13,200 patients and are providing treatment to nearly 400 patients. With Outreach Health Network, we aim to provide access to the highest quality care to patients without the need to travel to big cities.&quot;</p><p>After the discussion, Diane Jegam accompanied Dr Shahid Shafi on a campus tour. She visited our state-of-the-art Centre for Innovation in Medical Education (CIME) and other hospital areas. She lauded AKU&#39;s commitment to quality education and healthcare delivery in Pakistan.</p><p>“We used to hear a lot about AKU for many years because I was working in Kenya and AKU Karachi was always something we often heard about as a benchmark. I am happy today to see that it is indeed something, and I believe it is a reference in Karachi for the country. I am happy to see all the outreach community work, the patient welfare programme and the innovation you are doing,&quot; said Diane Jegam.</p><p>The Aga Khan University Hospital provides the highest quality care standards to its patients regardless of their financial ability to pay. In 2021, the University Hospital provided Welfare and Zakat support of <strong>over USD 22.6 million</strong> to more than <strong>950,000 patient</strong>s.​
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