September 2023

2023 APF Fellows'

Final Presentation

On September 10th, the four APF fellows of 2023 presented their fellowship research in front of a panel of APF members and its partner organizations, Sehat Kahani and The Atlantic Council. All the fellows' Final Presentations were very well researched and offered insightful findings. We would like to congratulate them on their incredible work.

For those who didn't get the chance to watch them present live, you may watch the full presentation video linked in the tab below.

The Fellowship experience

Our fellows shared their experience of working with us in their blog entries. Below are excerpts from their writing. (Keep a look out for their full blogs coming up on our website soon!) To learn more about their research and findings watch the presentation linked above.

Alysha Siddiqi

"A woman in Pakistan, a woman in the United States. Why is it that healthcare outcomes are so strikingly dissimilar when comparing both groups? 

Although a rather complicated question, the answer may lie in a historically undermined aspect of health: social determinants of health. Health and healthcare delivery is often reduced to its clinical and biological components, which, although a significant component of healthcare, is now understood as only one aspect of a much larger conversation. This past summer, I had the ability to explore this and related questions through my work with APF’s summer fellowship with Sehat Kahani, a tele-medicine service for and by women in Pakistan. The Sehat Kahani model integrates equity into its approach, using telehealth services as a tool for increasing access to care in rural and low-income settings. 

As a fellow, I had the opportunity to integrate my previous experiences and interests in global health during a research-project examining health-related barriers and interventions in Sindh, Pakistan. I approached this project in two-fold: first, using a literature review to understand the health-climate in Pakistan, and then using qualitative-level interviews with both physicians and patients in the Sehat Kahani system. Throughout the course of this project and fellowship, I worked to understand existing barriers and perceptions regarding health in Sindh, and how the Sehat Kahani model aims to address these. As an American-Pakistani, it is easy to become both disillusioned and disengaged from Pakistani health systems and delivery, however, as health disparities continue to grow between that hypothetical American woman and hypothetical Pakistani woman, amongst many other marginalized groups, it becomes more important we work to elucidate what barriers to care exist and how to address them, aiming to invest in a more sustainable Pakistan."

Hamna Khuld

"In the summer of 2023, the APF fellowship allowed me to work with Sehat Kahani, an innovative telemedicine network in Pakistan dedicated to delivering high-quality healthcare services to underserved communities..."

"Participating in the virtual fellowship with the Sehat Kahani team was a transformative experience that opened my eyes to the immense potential of telehealth services, particularly in disaster relief. Throughout the fellowship, I was privileged to engage with the dedicated individuals behind Sehat Kahani weekly. Our interactions ranged from meticulously planning research endeavors, including literature reviews and methodological approaches, to engaging with guest speakers who were healthcare professionals in Pakistan. These guest speakers provided invaluable insights into the intricacies of the healthcare system in the country and how telehealth could have a profound impact on it.

This experience taught me that disaster-affected communities possess remarkable resilience. Introducing telehealth services provided vital medical care and restored confidence in the healthcare system. It was evident that telehealth is the future of healthcare, making it possible for anyone anywhere to access a doctor or specialist. This is significant in developing countries, where many people reside in rural areas with limited healthcare resources.

My fellowship with Sehat Kahani was a profound journey of discovery. It showcased the incredible impact of telehealth services during times of crisis and underscored the importance of accessibility to quality healthcare, regardless of one's geographical location. The experience left me inspired by the resilience of communities in the face of adversity and convinced me that telehealth is a powerful tool for improving healthcare outcomes worldwide."

Naila Khan

"Reproductive health is a fundamental human right that provides women the freedom to enjoy life, liberty, healthcare, privacy, and non-discrimination. It is an unfortunate truth that women in Pakistan are denied these basic rights. Despite shifting cultural attitudes, women are disadvantaged from birth as gender disappointment remains a pervasive stigma. This continues throughout childhood and adolescence, as a notable gender gap exists in primary school enrollment of girls compared to boys, and millions of girls have no access to education. Girls are expected to marry at young ages and the annual birth rate, while overall declining, remains alarmingly high and contributes to infant and maternal mortality. Pakistan is struggling to efficiently control its population – exceeding 200 million, it ranks as the world's fifth most populous country. This rapid and unprecedented growth is driven by an era of better life expectancy due to improved sanitation and public health; but another major factor is neglected family planning and lack of focus on reproductive health. Contraception allows safe birth spacing and reproductive autonomy,

prevents unwanted pregnancies, abortions, and obstetric complications.  

Sehat Kahani, founded and led by Pakistani women, truly exemplifies female empowerment through its organization and efforts. The mission of Sehat Kahani empowers female healthcare providers to remain in the workforce by utilizing the growing telemedicine platform to provide quality healthcare throughout Pakistan – including access to under-served and rural communities. Through a partnership between the American Pakistan Foundation (APF) partnership and Sehat Kahani, I had the privilege to explore the impact of telemedicine on access to birth control in rural and urban Pakistan."

Omaer Naeem

"As part of the American Pakistan Foundation fellowship, I worked with the Atlantic Council South Asia Center’s (SAC) Pakistan Initiative, a D.C.-based nonpartisan thinktank specializing in political, security, and economic issues. I was offered the chance to engage in much needed research into the role youth can play in addressing climate change in Pakistan, culminating in an issue paper, while strengthening my professional skills in communication, data analysis, and event coordination & planning."

"Working with APF gave me the opportunity to convert my interests and passions into

something tangible that meaningfully engages the communities I identify, while addressing our generation’s most dire challenge. The APF gave me a community to fall back and rely on – I am excited to pay it forward as I move on."

Connect with APF's Mentorship Platform

The APF mentorship program has been designed to democratize the networking and guidance seeking effort for Pakistani Americans. It gives all mentees who opt into our platform, access to some of the most successful mentors from the Pakistani American community. Anyone can sign up and take advantage of this opportunity! This platform is here to lift more Pakistanis up in their professional lives and offer them the guidance they seek.

Join the activity and become a mentor or a mentee!

Click here (to learn how to sign up as a mentee)

Click here (to learn how to sign up as a mentor)