The Public Health Department actively engaged students in developing practical skills in addressing complex health challenges, including understanding diplomacy's crucial role in shaping global health policies and facilitating meaningful community engagement initiatives.

The Department of Public Health actively participated in the Model United Nations (Gen-Z RIMUN) held on January 24th, 2025, as a part of its community engagement and health promotion initiatives. The event was an excellent platform for Public Health students to engage in meaningful discussions, lobby on key health issues, and contribute to global policy dialogues.

Students from Semester VIII (Batch II) led the session, with Mr. Waleed Qaisar Sheikh serving as moderator. At the same time, Mr. Hasnain Sabir, Mr. Shahaan Chugtai, and Ms. Fatima Saleem chaired the discussions and lobbying part. The session focused on non-communicable diseases, mental health awareness, and pandemic preparedness. These activities provided students firsthand experience in policy advocacy, strategic negotiations, and global health diplomacy. The interactive sessions allowed them to explore various healthcare models, analyze global health policies, and develop a deeper understanding of international cooperation in Public Health. Students honed their problem-solving skills and broadened their perspectives on addressing pressing health challenges by participating.

Dr. Raima Asif, Assistant Professor of Public Health, was invited as the Chief Guest to honor the event. In her keynote address, she highlighted the crucial role of youth in shaping Public Health policies and emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in solving global health issues. She also commended the organizers for integrating Public Health discussions into the MUN framework, making it a valuable learning experience for students.

The participation of Public Health students in Gen-Z RIMUN 2025 was highly impactful, fostering a deeper understanding of international health policies and diplomacy. The event enhanced their advocacy and lobbying skills, provided networking opportunities with students from diverse academic backgrounds, and helped them develop policy proposals aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). The experience reinforced the importance of youth involvement in health advocacy and inspired students to remain active in Public Health policymaking.

The Department of Public Health's engagement in Gen-Z RIMUN 2025 by Roots International School was a resounding success, demonstrating the value of integrating health-focused discussions into global youth forums. The students showcased exemplary commitment and professionalism, contributing meaningful insights to the conference. The event concluded with a strong call for continued youth involvement in global health policymaking, inspiring students to remain active advocates for a healthier world.

The Department of Public Health (DPH) at the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), in collaboration with Firefly NGO, successfully organized an event titled "Mental Health: Echoes of Awareness" on December 24, 2024. The event aimed to highlight the importance of mental health, promote well-being, and foster dialogue on students' mental health-related challenges.

Over the past two years, the partnership between DPH and Firefly has spearheaded several activities, including mental health awareness sessions, community outreach programs, and unique initiatives such as caring for animals to promote emotional well-being. The event spotlighted continuous efforts to raise awareness of critical issues like mental health stigma, child abuse, sexism, and harassment.

This event is aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically, SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people of all ages, and SDG 4, which focuses on providing inclusive and equitable education and lifelong learning opportunities for everyone. By fostering an inclusive environment for discussion and awareness, the collaborative event contributed to the broader goal of creating a healthier and more compassionate society.

The program began with a spiritual recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the National Anthem. The organizers welcomed all attendees, including distinguished guests, faculty, staff members, and students. They emphasized the collaborative efforts between NUMS and Firefly NGO, particularly highlighting the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in October 2022, which paved the way for impactful initiatives focused on mental health.

The event culminated with a talk by Mr. Muhammad Hamza Suhail, Founder and Chairman of Firefly NGO, who shared valuable insights and reiterated the importance of proactive efforts to destigmatize mental health issues. The guest speaker encouraged open dialogue and self-expression among participants.

In her concluding remarks, Dr Tamkeen Jaffry (Associate Professor of Public Health) acknowledged the contribution of Lecturer DPH Rubab Zulfiqar and Office Assistant Zeeshan Hussain in organizing the event. She praised the students for the successful execution of the event, emphasizing the critical role of these initiatives in addressing societal challenges and promoting mental health awareness. She stressed that such activities should continue in the future to achieve collaboration objectives.

The NUMS Department of Public Health actively provides practical learning experiences for Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) students. The department organized a field visit to the Water Filtration Plant in Islamabad on January 8, 2024, from 0900 to 1400 hours to support this mission.

The visit aimed to acquaint students with the water filtration process and its essential role in public health. Another key objective was to familiarize students with water filtration plants' operational framework and organizational structure. This visit aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, and SDG 3, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages.

Water filtration plants are critical to provide the population with clean and safe drinking water. These plants perform multiple functions to produce potable water, including water intake, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. The plant visited serves a substantial population, ensuring residents can access safe drinking water.

Dr. Raima Asif (Assistant Professor), Dr. Rubab Zulfiqar (Lecturer), and Dr. Nasir Javed (Lecturer) from the Department of Public Health accompanied and guided all four batches of BSPH students through the plant's facilities.

Upon arrival, the plant manager gave students an initial briefing outlining the plant's responsibilities and the water purification services it provides. Then, students toured various sections of the plant, including the intake area, sedimentation tanks, filtration units, and disinfection chambers. Each section's processes were demonstrated to the students, providing a comprehensive view of the plant's operations.

Students explored the critical stages of water filtration, starting with raw water intake from natural sources, then sedimentation, where large particles settle out, and filtration, which uses sand and carbon filters to remove minor impurities. Disinfection then eliminates harmful pathogens through chlorine or other agents. The process concludes with quality control, involving continuous monitoring to ensure the water meets health standards.

The Head of the Department of Public Health, Prof. Dr. Uzma Hassan, praised the team for their diligent efforts in organizing the field visit. She emphasized the importance of such practical experiences in enhancing students' understanding of public health infrastructure and encouraging them to apply their knowledge effectively in real-world settings.

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Burden of disease simply demonstrates the impact of diseases and risk factors in a population. On the other hand, the study of Global Burden of Disease (GBD) offers a helpful resource to understand the constantly changing health challenges faced by people across the globe in the 21^st century. In fact, GBD study is the largest and an all-encompassing effort to measure health loss across various geographical locations and over time, thereby improving health systems and eliminating disparities in the long run.

To assess the health of various populations around the world and to get an overview of their health factors such as life expectancy, fertility, and causes of death, NCL and NDPH joined forces for an outreach undertaking to paint a comprehensive picture of what kills and disables people across countries, time, ages, and sexes for the students of NUMS and Islamabad Medical and Dental College (IMDC).

The beneficial training aim of NCL and NDPH prolifically materialized from 20^th to 22^nd August 2024 as a rewarding three-day workshop on ‘Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Modelling’. The said workshop, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Uzma Hassan, was facilitated by Dr. Tamkeen Nishat Jaffry (Assoc. Prof., NDPH), Dr. Raima Asif (Asst. Prof., NDPH), and Ms. Rubab Zulfiqar (Lecturer, NDPH). It was conducted from 1000 hrs to 1400 hrs in the Seminar Room (NUMS PWD Campus). All in all, the training sessions were eagerly attended by around 60 students from NUMS and Islamabad Medical and Dental College (IMDC).

The sessions effectively equipped the participating students with fundamental knowledge and essential skills in data analysis and healthcare planning. While Dr. Tamkeen Nishat Jaffry emphasized that GBD estimation can be reliable only if it happens with international collaboration; Dr. Raima Asif and Ms. Rubab Zulfiqar kept the audience engaged by diving into the practical side of the training, and explained how modern tools allow decision-makers to compare the effects of different diseases, injuries, and risk factors in order to prioritize interventions for improving health and saving lives.

In order to ensure educational impartiality, UDO (NUMS) worked alongside the resource persons and program coordinators of NDPH to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion practices were conscientiously executed throughout the sessions. The three-day event came to an end with a Vote of Thanks by Prof. Dr. Uzma Hassan (HoD, NDPH), Concluding Remarks by Air Cdre Muhammad Ismail, SI (M), Retd (Consultant QA / Head of NCL & RD Dte, NUMS), and Certificate Distribution Ceremony by the Chief Guest, Prof. Dr. Aisha Mohyuddin (Dean Multidisciplinary Sciences, NUMS).

This training workshop by NCL, in collaboration with NDPH, was undertaken in reference to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

The Department of Public Health established Student Organizing Committees to develop leadership qualities, instill a sense of responsibility, and engage students in health-promoting activities by organizing health-related events and awareness campaigns. The first committees were formed for the 2023-2024 academic year. As senior students graduated and new cohorts arrived, new committees were established for 2024-2025 to ensure the smooth continuation of ongoing activities.

A Badge Distribution Ceremony was held on Thursday, May 30th, 2024, to acknowledge the efforts of appointment holders.  The chief guest was Prof. Dr. Uzma Hassan, Head of the Department of Public Health. Faculty members and BSPH students of all batches attended the event. Prof. Dr. Uzma Hassan recognized the outstanding contributions of students by awarding badges. Following is the list of badge holders for their respective appointments.

President: Husnain Sabir (Semester 2)

Vice President: Hamda Noor (Semester 3)

Entertainment Committee:

• Coordinator: Hadiqa Mughal (Semester 5)
• Secretaries: Eman Fatima (Semester 5), Ayesha Liaquat (Semester 5)
• Members: Ansab Ur Rehman (Semester 1), Mishal Ali Malik (Semester 1), Yumna Sajid (Semester 5), Azka Zahoor (Semester 5)

Art and Media Committee:

• Coordinator: Fatima Saleem (Semester 7)
• Secretaries: Aiza Saleem (Semester 3), Mishal Hayat (Semester 3)
• Members: Eisha Khalid, Zara Ali, Zainab Noor, Natasha

Literary Committee:

• Coordinator: Salwa Manzoor (Semester 5)
• Secretaries: Ayesha Liaqat (Semester 5), Dua Masood (Semester 5)
• Members: Zahra Batool (Semester 3), Zaina Us Sama (Semester 3), Attique Afzal (Semester 3), Sameeka Ali (Semester 3)

Event Management Committee:

• Coordinator: Waleed Qaiser (Semester 7)
• Secretaries: Maha Amin, Rabiya Abid, Sofia Naseem
• Members: Aimen Adnan, Huzaifa Bilal, Malaika Yamin, Hareem Sadiq

Prof. Dr. Uzma Hassan appreciated Associate Professor Dr. Tamkeen Jaffry for the successful execution of the plan and thanked the DPH faculty for guiding and supporting the students. She also admired the dedication of the committees and expects them to continue performing with the same devotion in the future.