In the news

Ten years ago there was not a single midwife in the Afghan town of Baharak. Today there are four and the number of women dying in childbirth has fallen dramatically. At the provincial training centre in Badakhshan's…"The students, chosen by their community, have to pass an exam before being taken on. Everyone makes a written commitment to working for at least five years in their community," says Sairam Saadad, the coordinator of the programme.

The Khaplu Palace & Residence (KP&R) of Gilgit-Baltistan region restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture received 'Highly Commended' in the 'Best in Poverty Reduction' category of the Responsible Tourism Awards 2012.

Section Head of Endocrinology at Aga Khan University, Dr. Jaweed Akhter said that timely screening of diabetes is absolutely essential for proper and effective prevention. He was commenting on the escalating rates of diabetes around the world at an event marking World Diabetes Day held at Aga Khan University on Sunday.

The US-based food corporation, Cargill, has announced a three-year partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation to support the Bilibiza Agricultural Institute in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.

The Afghan Ministry of Interior said on Monday that it had had held a joint symposium with the Institute of Public Policy and Administration (IPPA) here in Kabul, discussing trade and cooperation between Central Asia and Afghanistan. “UCA is delighted to work with the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Institute of Diplomacy and Directorate General for Economic Cooperation on the issue of expansion of trade between Afghanistan and Central Asia, which is important for regional stability,” said Dr. Krawchenko.

The 13th Annual International Ultrasound Congress was held at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi and organised by, the Mediterranean and African Society of Ultrasound (MASU) and Kenya Society for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (KESUMB). Dr Sudhir Vinayak, Chair, KESUMB explained that Kenya , like many African countries suffers from a shortage of radiographers..."Our Universities in East Africa are able to train about 20 new radiologists every year but these are not enough," he said.

Afghanistan mobile operator Roshan is offering its mobile phone users access to BBC World Service news headlines and breaking news alerts with the launch of a new subscription text service. Subscribers will receive national and international headlines and breaking news twice a day in Dari and Pashto. BBC radio programmes can be heard on FM in more than 30 cities and towns in Afghanistan, as well as on medium wave and on shortwave.

Kulob authorities have officially commenced construction of two new roads in the area.We will recall that Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Afghan Minister of Public Works Abdul Qudus Hamidi, and His Highness the Aga Khan, founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), performed the foundation stone ceremony for the Shouroobod Bridge on October 31, 2011.

Cargill has announced a U.S. $1.35 million, three-year partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) to provide support for the Bilibiza Agriculture Institute (IABil) in order to enhance and expand educational possibilities for farmers in northern Mozambique. "Cargill is committed to supporting our African farming communities to develop sustainable and responsible agricultural practices," explains Pieter Reichert, Business Development Manager - Mozambique.

The Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology established its first campus in Arusha last year while the Aga Khan University (AKU) will invest $450 million in a campus in the town in the next 15 years. The AKU campus could become one of the largest in the region. Land has already been secured on the western fringes of the city. The campus will be among the education and health projects undertaken within East Africa under Aga Khan Development Network.