In Pakistan, women health workers in Badin will provide mental health services at the doorstep of communities as part of a pilot study launched by the Aga Khan University (AKU)’s researchers. Badin district has the second-highest suicide rate in the province. Access to mental healthcare is a major challenge for people in rural parts of the district and treatment is often avoided due to the stigma attached to the condition. The first phase of the study will involve cases of anxiety and depression being identified through a survey of households in Badin.

In Egypt, the Om Habibeh Foundation organised a meeting for the Business Owners Advisory Committee, within the framework of the Aswan Youth Skills Development Programme, which works in cooperation with the Aga Khan Foundation, to enhance employment prospects and enrol young men and women in the Aswan governorate into the labour market, and to develop job skills among workers in various sectors. Experiences and points of view were exchanged among all participants to identify the basic needs of the labour market in the governorate, including the training provided to young people in most disciplines and fields.