• Explore opportunities for institutional collaboration to promote a deeper understanding of mental health issues in Sindh through culturally appropriate and multidisciplinary approaches.

Hyderabad

A delegation from the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, led by Dr. Abdul Razaque Channa, Chairman of the Department, and comprising Dr. Rafique Ahmed Wassan and Dr. Mohbat Ali Shah, visited the Sir Cowasjee Jahangir Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Hyderabad. The team was warmly welcomed by Dr. Nisar Ahmed Sohoo, Medical Superintendent of the Institute and Dr. Mushtaq Sargani.

The meeting aimed to explore opportunities for institutional collaboration to promote a deeper understanding of mental health issues in Sindh through culturally appropriate and multidisciplinary approaches.

During the discussion, Dr. Abdul Razaque Channa emphasized that both individuals and institutions suffer when they work in isolation — stating that “isolation affects not only human mental well-being but also the structural and functional effectiveness of institutions.” He underscored that collaboration between anthropology and psychiatry could yield significant progress in understanding and addressing the growing challenges of mental health.

Dr. Nisar Sohoo appreciated the initiative and highlighted the need for joint efforts through interdisciplinary lens to respond effectively to the rising mental health crisis. He noted that mental health is a fundamental human right and called for committed individuals and institutions to serve as “beacons of hope in a time of growing hopelessness.”

Dr. Rafique Wassan proposed utilizing the Cowasjee Institute as a “community research laboratory” where students and researchers could study the social dimensions of health and illness, while Dr. Mohbat Ali Shah emphasized anthropology’s holistic perspective as an invaluable framework for understanding mental and behavioral health.

Dr. Channa shared that several students from the Department have conducted extensive fieldwork-based theses on mental health issues and two students at the Institute, including Ms. Kiran Chandio, who completed her research there and now serves with the Sindh Integrated Emergency Health Services, and Mr. Vikram, currently researching service delivery mechanisms at the same institution.

Dr. Mushtaq Sargani expressed keen interest in inviting anthropology faculty to deliver lectures and conduct training sessions at the Institute, marking the beginning of an active academic partnership. Both sides agreed to organize joint workshops, lectures, and research activities focusing on medical anthropology, public health, psychiatry and psychology and mental health.

The meeting concluded with a mutual understanding to formalize collaboration between the two institutions and to advance a multidisciplinary approach that bridges the academic and practical gap for improving mental health research, education, and community impact.

Together, both institutions reaffirmed their shared vision — to humanize mental health care in Sindh through knowledge, compassion, and collaboration.

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Jamshoro, Sindh

An Interdisciplinary research dissemination symposium under the theme ‘Advances in Public Health, Medical Anthropology, and Health Sciences’ was collaboratively organized by the Faculty of Community Medicine and Public Health, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) Jamshoro and the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro.

The collaborative research symposium held at LUMHS aimed to produce new research and knowledge by recognizing and adapting the interdisciplinary approach informed by medical anthropology and public health to address the issues of healthcare and well-being in society and communities.

The central idea of the interdisciplinary research dissemination symposium in the domain of public health and medical anthropology was jointly initiated and conceived by the organizing committee members Professor Dr. M. Ilyas Siddiqui, Chairman Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, and Dr. Gulzar Usman, Associate professor Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, and two anthropologists Dr. Abdul Razaque Channa, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Rafique Wassan, Lecturer at the Department of Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro.

In the first segment of the symposium, five students of anthropology and Community medicine representing both departments presented their field-based research work followed by a guest speech by Laila Rajani, an anthropologist and a PhD researcher at the University of Edinburgh, UK who is conducting field research on the issue of mental health and suicide in Tharpakrar.

The next session of the symposium featured a panel discussion on the main theme moderated by Dr. Gulzar Usman and the panelists included Professor Dr. Munawar Alam Ansari, Dean of Community Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Prof Muhammad Najeeb Memon, Chairman of the Department of Community Medicine, BMC, LUMHS, Prof. Dr. M. Ilyas Siddiqui, Dr. Fayaz Umrani, a researcher at the Aga Khan University’s Center of Excellence at Matiari, Dr. Jamil Junejo of Psychiatry Department, and anthropologists Ms. Laila Rajani, Dr. Abdul Razaque Channa, Dr. Rafique Wassan. The three BS final year students of anthropology, SU Jamshoro Ms. Kiran Chandio, Maria Maqbool, and Maria Memon presented their ethnographic research work respectively on the topics of mental health in a hospital ward in Hyderabad, toxic industrial waste, pollution of the Indus River and public health problem in Kotri and reproductive health, especially on the issue of C-section at a gynecology ward at LUMHS hospital, and the two researchers of Community Medicine and Public Health. LUMHS Dr. Rafaina Shah and Dr. Samreen Aijaz presented their findings on public health issues.

A large number of students from the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, SU Jamshoro, and Community Medicine and Public Health, LUMHS as well as the faculty members of both departments also joined the research symposium.

The research student presenters and faculty member panelists highlighted the need to develop collaboration between the fields of anthropology and public health in advancing knowledge and addressing health issues. it was highlighted in the panel discussion that medical anthropology’s research frameworks that look at health disparities in the context of social disparities, social determinants, structural factors, and the political economy of health can immensely contribute to advancing knowledge in public health problems. The speakers in the panel discussion session emphasized the development of collaborative thinking and methodology to address health issues.  Dr. Gulzar Usman, conducted the proceeding of the research symposium and the LUMHS Community Radio broadcasted the live recording and proceedings of the event. (PR)

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By Our Correspondent

Jamshoro

The Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Sindh Jamshoro organized a field study visit of its students to the Community Medicine and Public Health Sciences Department of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro on Thursday February 10, 2022.

The field study visit specifically focused on the idea of exploring and understanding the close academic, research, and community-based learning affinity between fields of anthropology, medical anthropology, community/public health, and nursing.

In the visit, which was conceived, designed and planned by Dr. Abdul Razaque Channa, Rafique Wassan and Ambreen Soomro, the faculty members of the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, the male and female students of the department were invited to participate and interact with the faculty of Community Medicine and Public Health Sciences, LUMHS and gain first-hand learning, knowledge and exposure about community health teaching and work at LUMHS.

Dr. Gulzar Usman and Dr. Prof Khalida Naz, Associate Professor and the Dean, respectively of Community Medicine and Public Health Sciences, LUMHS warmly welcomed the students and faculty members of the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology that also included Mr. Muhabat Shah and Ali Taqui Shah.

After the formal welcome and introductory session of the field study visit conducted at the seminar hall of the Community Medicine and Public Health Sciences, the participating students were divided into three groups, each consisting of 10 students, to introduce them the three community and public health related work teaching and research practices which included FM community medicine radio, Water Testing Lab and community medicine museum and skills lab.

Each group of the students received the demonstration class of three components by the faculty of Community Medicine. At the end, in the final segment of the field study visit students enthusiastically took part and interacted with the faculty of community medicine through question answers and shared their observations and suggestions to develop collaborative learning and research with anthropology and community medicine and public health.

Dr. Khalida Naz and Dr. Gulzar Usman highlighted the need to integrate anthropology and social sciences into medical sciences and community/public health. It was discussed and suggested by the both the host and guest faculty members of the two universities to design and initiate collaboration in the shared and common areas of interest that may include teaching of anthropology courses at the community medicine department and nursing school, hold joint workshops and conferences on anthropology and public health, conduct research projects and internships of the students, and use LUMHS FM radio as an effective platform to disseminate research conducted by the students of anthropology.

It was also discussed that in the forthcoming conference on public health to be held at LUMHS, the anthropology department will organize a panel on medical anthropology.

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