Islamabad: In a major recognition for Pakistan’s health and education sector, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Programme have formally designated the Health Services Academy (HSA), Islamabad, as one of the five Global Public Health Education Centers of Excellence (CoEs) within the CAREC region.
The official confirmation praised HSA for its demonstrated excellence in public health education, research capacity, and commitment to advancing regional health objectives.
Prof. Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of HSA, termed the achievement “a proud milestone not only for the Academy but for Pakistan’s entire public health and medical education system.” He added: “Becoming a designated Center of Excellence means Pakistan will now play a central role in shaping public health education, research, and policy coordination across 11 CAREC member countries. This is a great achievement for the country and will help raise the profile of our institutions internationally.”
The CoE Network will work to strengthen regional collaboration in public health education, foster the development and dissemination of innovative training and research programmes, and support harmonization of health standards and curricula across CAREC countries. It will also enhance the region’s collective ability to respond to emerging public health challenges.
HSA, which already serves as Pakistan’s premier public health teaching and research institution, is now expected to lead and participate in joint research, training, and knowledge-sharing activities; support the development of best practices and regional guidelines in health education; and contribute to the continuous improvement of workforce competencies within the CAREC region.
The CAREC Programme currently includes 11 member countries — Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The region’s growing integration is creating new demands for shared health systems and capacity-building initiatives, and the newly designated Centers of Excellence will serve as pivotal platforms for this cooperation.
Congratulating HSA, Sofia Shakil, Director of ADB’s Human and Social Development Sector Office, noted that the institution’s selection reflects confidence in Pakistan’s ability to contribute meaningfully to regional health strategies. “We look forward to HSA’s active engagement in advancing the CAREC health agenda and to its valuable contributions in building stronger, resilient health systems across the region,” she said.
Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan added that the recognition will also help attract international collaborations and funding for Pakistan’s health research and training programmes. “This is not just an honor for HSA but for Pakistan as a whole, as it shows our readiness to lead in global public health education,” he said.
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