The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has initiated extensive nutrition-focused reforms within health sciences curricula to promote preventive healthcare capabilities in Punjab, as reported by officials following a meeting led on Monday by Vice Chancellor Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore.
As part of the initiative, reforms will reach beyond the classroom environment for MBBS and BDS students. All affiliated colleges are set to create Nutrition Societies aimed at raising awareness among students, while a Clinical Nutrition Faculty Council will oversee the continuous academic evaluation and integration of research.
The meeting was attended by Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Nadia Naseem, Prof Zohra Khanum, Principal of the Services Institute of Medical Sciences, and Prof Junaid Rashid, Pro-VC of the University of Child Health Sciences, along with faculty members from the departments of public health, nutrition, and family medicine.
What will the new MBBS and BDS reforms do?
These reforms, developed in partnership with UNICEF Pakistan, aim to incorporate structured nutrition competencies into MBBS and other undergraduate and postgraduate programs, enabling future clinicians to evaluate nutritional status, identify deficiencies at an early stage, and integrate preventive dietary counseling into standard care.
The meeting also evaluated related initiatives, which include a certification course in family medicine for general practitioners, aimed at enhancing maternal and child health services at the primary care level.
Furthermore, a specialized geriatric clinic is being established at the Services Institute of Medical Sciences to evaluate nutrition-related decline in older adults and to promote healthy aging through evidence-based care. Prof. Rathore indicated that the initiative was intended to address gaps in national health evidence.
Doctors and medical students have observed that while existing surveys offer valuable insights, they fall short in providing comprehensive data on elderly nutrition.
They also offer limited information regarding adolescent girls during crucial growth periods.
“Academic institutions must equip doctors to tackle these realities even before new datasets are available,” Prof Ahsan Waheed stated.
He further emphasized that integrating clinical nutrition into standard teaching would facilitate a transition in healthcare from a focus on treatment to one on prevention.
Participants observed that the most recent comprehensive national nutrition data for Pakistan is from 2018, highlighting the urgent need for updated research and enhanced clinical capacity.
They further noted that the revised curricula position nutrition as a fundamental clinical competency rather than just a secondary topic.
