“I can safely say that this class of AKU graduates will be one of the most tenacious, resilient and open-minded groups of professionals to come from this institution. I think I speak for my entire class when I say this: We are ready.”
“Graduands, our alumni – your predecessors – walked the same corridors and courtyards that you have walked and learned in the same clinics and classrooms. They wore the same green and gold that you wear now. And every day, they are proving just how powerful an AKU education can be.”
“This AKU class has worked harder for this moment than any other ever has… In the years to come, you will always be able to look back and draw strength from your achievements during this momentous period.”
More than 660 students in Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda graduated from the Aga Khan University in a live-streamed Global Convocation Ceremony that was watched by viewers around the world. The ceremony in Nairobi was attended in-person by Princess Zahra Aga Khan and saw the University commit to becoming carbon neutral in its operations by 2030.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions to cancer services and exacerbated existing health inequities, with a high risk of seeing an increase in cancers diagnosed at a later stage which can lead to cancer-related deaths. “Understanding and addressing the social determinants of health and their impact on cancer can considerably improve outcomes for at-risk populations, particularly for cancers that can be more easily detected and treated such as cervical, breast, colorectal and childhood cancers,” says Dr Miriam Mutebi, Member of the Board, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and Consultant Breast Surgical Oncologist, Clinical epidemiologist and health systems researcher, Aga Khan University Hospital, Kenya. This year the UICC launched a new three-year campaign for World Cancer Day to bring together individuals, organisations and governments around the world in an effort to create awareness and help close the gap in cancer care.
The Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi has appointed Rashid Khalani as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). A statement from the Hospital said that “Khalani has been the Interim CEO since March 2021 and earlier served as the Chief Financial Officer.” A Finance and Business professional by training, Mr. Khalani has had a long and distinguished career with the Aga Khan University and the Aga Khan Development Network since March 2005. Mr. Khalani has worked in different capacities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tanzania and, since August 2012, in Kenya. The Hospital provides care through a 300-bed main hospital in Nairobi and 50 outreach medical centres across East Africa.
Dr Miriam Mutebi currently works at the Aga Khan Hospital in Kenya. Her achievements include being the first female breast cancer surgeon in Kenya and numerous appointments, including co-chair of a government task force tasked to design an effective cancer management structure in Kenya. She was most recently elected as president of the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), a Pan-African multi-disciplinary organisation that builds capacity for cancer advocacy, research and training in Africa. It is the largest and most influential continental organisation involved in the promotion of cancer care and control. Dr Mutebi will hold the position for four years – two as president-elect and the rest as president.
For a long time, it has been misunderstood that palliative care is tailor-made for cancer patients and patients at the end of life. Dr. John Weru, consultant physician for palliative medicine at the Aga Khan University Hospital, offers some insight into it. He says that palliative care aims to improve and maintain a patient’s quality of life so that they can live as actively as possible as they experience an illness. As such, the patient and family form the central unit of focus in palliative care. The palliative care team includes, among others, doctors, nurses, social workers, counselling psychologists, dietitians, and volunteers. Depending on their circumstances, a person may access palliative care for years, months, weeks, or days.
The Aga Khan Hospital Dar es Salaam (AKH,D) performed its first Cochlear Implant Surgery on Monday 24 January. Young Danial, a three year old boy has not heard sound all his life, making this a life-changing opportunity for the young boy and his parents. “We are very excited to begin performing this procedure here at AKH,D. The availability of this procedure locally means that patients will not have to travel abroad for this service,” said Mr. Sisawo Konteh, Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital. In addition to this procedure, the Aga Khan Hospital has also been piloting a newborn hearing screening programme since 2018. This involves the use of a quick and simple test to screen babies for hearing loss, usually performed very shortly after birth.
On 4 February, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) will launch a new three-year campaign for World Cancer Day that brings together individuals, organisations and governments around the world in an effort to create awareness and help close the gap in cancer care. The campaign highlights the significant barriers related to socioeconomic factors, stigma and discrimination that prevent many people around the world from accessing life-saving preventive services, diagnostics, treatment and care. Dr Miriam Mutebi, Member of the Board, Union for International Cancer Control and Consultant Breast Surgical Oncologist, Clinical epidemiologist and health systems researcher, Aga Khan University Hospital, Kenya commented that “The Covid-19 pandemic has deepened health inequities and created an even greater need for action to mitigate the adverse impact on cancer incidence and survival. Understanding and addressing the social determinants of health and their impact on cancer can considerably improve outcomes for at-risk populations, particularly for cancers that can be more easily detected and treated such as cervical, breast, colorectal and childhood cancers.”