Upcoming lecture with renowned expert in maternal and child health

A globally recognized leader in improving child and maternal health will deliver this year’s S. Amjad Hussain Guest Lecture in Medical Humanities.

As a trained pediatrician, Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta has led research and health initiatives in North America, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, including his native Pakistan.

The lecture begins on Thursday, October 10th at 5:30 p.m. in the Health Education Building, Room 110 on the Health Science Campus. A reception with light refreshments begins at 5 p.m

The event is free and open to the public. However, feedback can be requested by emailing Kimberly Hineline.

Bhutta is the inaugural Robert Harding Chair in Global Child Health and Policy at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto and co-director of the SickKids Center for Global Child Health. He is also Distinguished University Professor and Founding Director of the Institute for Global Health and Development and the Center of Excellence in Women and Child Health at the Aga Khan University and holds adjunct professorships at several leading universities worldwide.

However, there was a time when even completing medical school seemed in doubt.

“I grew up with a strong sense of public service,” Bhutta said. “When I was young, I was heavily involved in student activism. It took a lot of time. So much so that I almost quit. It was difficult to balance the two.”

Ultimately, he graduated at the top of his class in medicine, but his commitment to reducing inequalities and inequalities did not fade and he dedicated much of his career to improving child and maternal outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.

In his talk at UToledo, Bhutta will outline the work of his career and the past, present and future of global child health.

“Real progress has been made. “Between 2000 and 2015, child mortality was reduced by half,” he said. “This was the fastest decline in child mortality in human history. However, significant challenges remain, particularly given the increasing impacts of climate change.”

While global child mortality is at its lowest level since records began, progress has slowed over the past decade. In addition to the impacts of climate change, Bhutta said conflict, displacement, the COVID-19 pandemic and persistent global inequality are partly to blame.

Nevertheless, he remains optimistic.

“The challenges and problems are huge, but the future is in our hands. If we are able to focus on this issue, we can uplift everyone,” Bhutta said. “I have no doubt that a healthy planet and healthy children are beneficial for all of us. No one is immune from these problems.”

The S. Amjad Hussain, MD, Visiting Lecture in Medical Humanities was created in honor of Hussain, professor emeritus of cardiovascular surgery and humanities, former member of the UToledo Board of Trustees and columnist for The Blade.

The lecture was in its 15th year and featured a wide range of speakers and topics, including military medicine, the connection between jazz and medicine, and the history of cancer treatment.

This year’s presenter is notable not only for his career but also for his personal connection with Hussain. The two come from the same region in Pakistan and Hussain taught Bhutta during his medical studies in Pakistan.

“He has always been ahead of the curve and his countless achievements on the global stage are heartwarming but not surprising,” Hussain said. “He’s unique.”

For more information about the lecture, visit the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences website.