DEPARTMENT SOCIAL & PREVENTIVE PAEDIATRIC
Prof. Dr. Nosheen Aziz M.B.B.S, D. Paeds M.C.P.S, MPHIL (Community Med) Professor of Preventive Pediatrics

Brief History & Introduction

The first ever Department of Social & Preventive Pediatrics was established in 1984 at Kind Edward Medical College, Lahore. This was the first of its kind in whole South East Asia. Professor Fehmida Jalil was the first professor and head of the department. Community outreach programme for the urban slums of Lahore was started by this department. The families living in Gowalmandi, an urban slum area, were registered by community based survey. These families were visited by the doctor-nurse team for health promotion activities and the mothers and children came to the primary health care clinic established in the department. A family folder was maintained for each family.

During the course of time the Department of Social & Preventive Pediatrics established research collaborations with various international universities (especially Swedish and British) and international agencies like WHO and UNICEF. These research collaborations resulted in more than 150 research papers and reports published in local and international journals. Four local researchers and four international students were awarded PhDs by Swedish and British universities and eight researchers received their master degrees. In 1993 Prof. Fahmida Jalil retired and Prof. Riffat Nisar Ashraf took over the charge of the department. She continued the traditions of Prof. Fahmida Jalil.

The current head of the Department, Prof. Dr.Nosheen Aziz, was appointed after the retirement of Prof. Riffat Nisar Ashraf. Her field of Interest is Epidemiology and Nutrition. She has keen interest in up grading the nutrition rehabilitation ward. The functions of the Department of the Social & Preventive Pediatrics are provision of comprehensive health care services (promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative) to the children and families in the community, teaching and training of paramedics, undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, and research. The Departmental is running both Diploma (DCCH) and M.D programs in the discipline of Social & Preventive Pediatrics.

In context with the collaborative work for MCH services, the department is conducting Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCA) Workshops to train the health personnel including doctors, nurses, and Lady Health Visitors from different districts of the Punjab Province.

The Department of Social & Preventive Pediatrics is well known at national and international levels for providing the services to the urban slum population of Gowalmandi (1000 households) and Krolvar periurban area and four adjoining villages (1800 house holds). The health and research programs in Gowalmandi and Krolvar area are run by the resources (both human and financial) of K.E Medical University and Mayo Hospital and the rest are supported by the Human Development foundation which is a NGO run by North American Pakistani doctors. The population which benefits from these out reach activities is about 25,000. This is a registered population. The new families are enrolled by periodic household survey. The Department in collaboration with WHO is conducting formative research project since 2006, in strengthening the home based child care practices in eight villages having a population of about 46,000 at Tehsil Pattoki.

The out reach services that are provided to the population are: antenatal counseling, care of the newborn, growth monitoring, immunization, health promotion and health education, breastfeeding promotion, and promotion of complementary feeding. The clinics are conducted by the doctors and LHVs. The local LHWs working in the area facilitate the work and hence strengthen the linkage between the National Health Programme and the local health system run in the public sector. The department has therefore developed partnerships between the internal health agencies, different public sector health institutions (tertiary care and primary care), and public partnership (KEMU and HDF).

The out door hospital based health services with special reference to the discipline of preventive pediatrics are Growth Monitoring Clinic, Nutrition Clinic, Genetic Clinic, Vaccination Centre, and Lactation Clinic. The department also provides family planning services in collaboration with Family Welfare Association of Pakistan to mothers visiting the department and health education to mothers who accompany their children in neonatology section and diarrhea wards of the pediatric departments by trained health educators of the department.

A newly created section of Clinical Genetics within the department (since September 2007), provides hospital based genetic health services involving diagnosis and counseling for families affected with genetic diseases. The aim of this service is primarily prevention of genetic diseases through genetic counseling. A qualified and expert clinical geneticist is supervising the genetic clinic.

Faculty List

1. Prof. Nosheen Aziz MBBS, D. Paeds M.C.P.S, M. PHIL (Community Med)

2. Dr. Munir Akthar Saleemi MBBS, DCH, MD, FCPS Associate Professor

3. Dr. Muhammad Yaqoob MBBS, MCPS, MD, PhD Assistant Professor

4. Dr. Amjad Majeed, MBBS Registrar

5. Dr. Azhar Ayaz, MBBS, MPH Medical Officer

6. Dr. Javeria Saleem, MBBS Women Medical Officer

7. Dr. Rameeza Kaleem, MBBS, DMCH Women Medical Officer

8. Miss. Tayyaba Ansari, MSc Health Educator

9. Miss. Hafiza Misba, MSc Health Educator

Group Photo of the Department of Social and Preventive Pediatrics

Sitting: From left to right Dr. Munir Akhtar Saleemi, Prof. Dr. Nosheen Aziz and
Dr. M. Yaqoob
Standing: From left to right Mrs. Saleem Akhtar, Dr. Azhar Ayaz, Dr. Gulfraz,
Dr. Javeria Saleem, Dr. Amna Imran, and Mrs. Haseeb Bano.

Teaching Program

Postgraduate Programs

i) MD
ii) DCCH

Undergraduate Programs

i) MBBS
ii) NURSING

List of Postgraduate Students

1. Dr. Amjad Majeed

2. Dr. Azhar Ayaz Khan

3. Dr. Javeria Saleem

4. Dr. Ramiza Kaleem

5. Dr. Gulfraz

Facilities

• Class Room
• Library
• Computer Section
• Conference Room

Research Projects

• COME Project in Gowal mandi area.

• Community Development and Provision of Health Care Services in Karolvar area in Collaboration with HDF.

• Strengthening of Home Based Child Care Practices in a Rural area of Balloki in Collaboration with WHO.
Current Department Statistics from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008
Total patients nutrition ward (52), OPD (4332), Health Education (154 From Feb, 2008 to June, 2008), Genetic Clinic (64 from Nov 2007 to June 2008).

Research Publications during session 2007-2008

1. Nosheen Aziz etal Determinants of Childhood Diarrhea in a Pakistani village, Takkipur-where do we stand. J Fatima Jinnah Medical College Lahore, Pakistan. 2007; July-Dec Vol.1 (364):76-79.

2. Nosheen Aziz , Amna Imran Mapping of Health care providers and assessment of their services and practices in the union council No.22, District Pakpatan. MMCH Dissertation Session 2007-08. Institute of Public Health, University of the Health Services, Lahore.

3. El-Nour El-Tayab, Muhammad Yaqoob, Khalid Abdur-Rahim, Karl-Hnrik Gustavson. Prevalence of B-Thalassaemia and sickle cell traits in premarital screening in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia, Genetic Counseling, Vol.19,No2,2008,pp 211-218.

4. Atiya mahboob, Tahira Saeed, Zafar Iqbal, Munir Saleemi, Asma Munir, Prevalence of Hepatits B surface antigen carrier state in patients with Lichen Planus-report of 200 cases from Lahore, Pakistan. J Ayub Med College Abbottabad 2007: 19(4):68-70.