Maternal and Child health Department

Under the revised organizational structuring MNCH/RH Department (Maternal, Neonatal, Child Health and Reproductive Health Department) holds a primary position in the Health Services Academy. At the department we conduct research and teaching, and provide services concerning MNCH/RH based on institutional mission and public health concept. The department focuses on training and research on understanding the health status of women with regard to their general and reproductive health, the health of their newborns and children under five. The research focuses on health problems of this target group and alleviation through community based prevention and development of appropriate health care systems. Given the current morbidity and mortality indicators of the country and low income countries the pivotal position of the department is evident. Main themes addressed are the determinants of their health status, preventive strategies and programs to address their health and well-being. Teaching focuses on the application of the analytical skills to maternal, newborn and child health concentrating on the scope and the magnitude of health problems across the life span, determinants including socio-economic, cultural, behavioral, environmental, political and other determinants, and newborn child health interventions and strategies.

Mission

The MNCH/RH Department through pursuit of excellence in research, post graduate training and advanced training prepares students to address the maternal and child health needs of Pakistan and the surrounding region through informing policy and practice in these areas, in an environment that values and develops academic excellence in teaching and research, academic freedom, leadership and service to society.

Vision

To serve as an internationally recognized Centre of Excellence in the field of MNCH that contributes towards improving the health and social well-being of these population groups in innovative ways.

Goal

The goal of the MNCH Department is to serve as a Centre of Excellence to improve the health of the women, newborns and children of Pakistan and its surrounding region by providing a platform to health care professional and experts in reproductive and child health to enhance human resource development and contribution to evidence-based policies and practices.

Objectives

The objectives are to:

• Teaching : Improve the quality, standards and range of educational and training programs in MNCH/RH and public health.
• Research:  Explore and establish collaborations local, national and international public health institutions for research, facilitating evidence based decision making in the country.
• Develop a network of individuals and institutions to coordinate research activities.
• Respond to specific requests/ needs and address these needs with adequate training and research programmes.
• Networking:  Promote the educational and scientific collaboration between public health professionals working in the private and public sectors in the country, donor agencies and international universities.
• Develop a programme for staff/student exchange.

Tasks

The Department’s mandate is to:

• Conduct training courses in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and child health from public health perspective.
• Promote and conduct research in reproductive health on the issues of national relevance, including operational and socio-behavioral research on the aspects of maternal and child health, reproductive tract infections and sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, adolescents sexual and reproductive health.
• Disseminate these training courses and research at the national and international levels.
• Provide a platform to the national and international researchers and academicians to collaborate in research and training .
• Collaborate and coordinate as a nodal center for multi-center trials designated to assess the effectiveness and acceptability of interventions to improve reproductive and child health.
• Strengthen capacity of young researchers by creating a core group of researchers (national and international) to groom them, who would serve as a resource for assisting other researchers in the country and neighbouring regions for reproductive and child health research as needed.
• Promote and support inter-institutional/inter-country collaboration and networking for research and training.

Core Tasks

Teaching

The department offers core and elective students to the MSPH, HRH and HEM students. New topics and recent literature is added in the course modules. The following courses are offered by the Department:

• Introduction to the Reproductive Health
• Child Health Programs and Interventions
• Health Promotion
• Foundations of Qualitative Research Methods
• Aspects of Social and Behavioral Science in Public Health
• Elective Courses

Development of Courses and Trainings

New elective courses are developed by the Department to offer a MNCH/RH track for the MSPH program by 2012. In addition short trainings such as a “Capacity Building for District Health Managers (DHMs) for Managing Programs to Improve Maternal and Child Health” and “Training module to strengthen capacity of the health professionals for health care of children in humanitarian crisis” are being developed.

Research

The department is contributing towards basic and applied research in the field of MNCH and RH. Research projects focusing on research with youth, children, women and community midwives by the faculty are in progress.

National Conference

In the light of successful outcomes of the National MNCH/FP Conference held in December 2010 to gather and share experiences of all stakeholders working on MNCH agenda, the Academy has planned to hold its 2nd annual event of “Annual Public Health Conference” in December, 2011 focusing on prospects of devolution in health sector.

Collaborations

The Academy is working in collaboration with various national and international institutes and bodies in different capacities through formal and informal linkages to achieve its goal. The department in close collaboration with the University of Liverpool is in the process of established a centre of excellence

Publications

• Hamid, S., Johansson, E., & Rubenson, B. (2009). “Who am I? Where am I?” Experiences of married young women in a slum in Islamabad, Pakistan. BMC Public Health, 9(1), 265.
• Hamid, S., Johansson, E., & Rubenson, B. (2010). Security lies in obedience- Voices of young women of a slum in Pakistan. BMC Public Health, 10(1), 164.
• Hamid, S., Johansson, E., & Rubenson, B. ‘Good parents’ strive to raise ‘innocent daughters’. Cult Health Sex. 2011 Aug;13(7):841-51. Epub 2011 Jun 9.
  Hamid S., Stephenson R., & Rubenson, B. Marriage Decision Making, Spousal Communication and Reproductive Health among Married Youth in Pakistan. Glob Health Action. 2011 Jan 11;4. doi: 10.3402/gha.v4i0.5079.
• Hamid S; Stephenson R. Provider and Health Facility Influences on Contraceptive Adoption in Urban Pakistan. International Family Planning Perspectives, 2006, 32(2):71– 78
• Mansoor F, Hamid S, Mir T et al. Incidence of Traumatic injection neuropathy among children in Pakistan. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal. 2005:Vol. 11(4): 798-804.
• Siddiqi S; Hamid S; Rafique G et al. Prescription Practices of Public and Private Health Care Providers in Attock District of Pakistan. Int. J. Health Plann Mgmt 2002: 17 23-40.
• Nigral input to the CM-PF thalamic complex in the cat. D. S. Yamasaki, C Fitzpatrick, S. Hamid and G. J. Royce, Department of Anatomy, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI 53706. Soc. Neurosci Abstr., Vol 20, Part I, p.145-20,1994.
• Symptomatic and Biochemical presentation of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and its treatment: A hospital based study of Pakistani Population. (2007), IBCAST, CESAT, Islamabad. Dr Samina