IHATSHAM AKRAM brings nearly 15 years of experience in the field of public health and development in Pakistan and has worked with leading organizations, including National Maternal and Newborn and Child Health Programme and Lady Health Workers Programme at the provincial and federal levels of Government of Pakistan, National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) and Save the Children playing a critical role in scaling up of maternal, newborn and child health interventions through evidence generation, communication and policy advocacy. He had been team leader for rural health initiatives of NRSP, lead the process of development of a consensus based National MNCH Communication Strategy Framework for Pakistan and its scaling up, formation of Advocacy and Advisory Network for Newborns, launch of Every One Campaign under patronage of the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, inclusion of newborn best practices in the package endorsed by government through Karachi declaration. Lately, after joining MNH-Research and Advocacy Fund (RAF) as Policy and Advocacy Specialist he has steered the identification, funding and providing oversight to projects that have and are leading to important policy and practices changes such as inclusion of Misoprostol and Magnesium Sulphate in Essential Drug Lists and endorsements and notification of the protocols, provincial adoption International Code of Marketing for Breast Milk Substitutes, inclusion of Minimum Essential Services Package for women and children reproductive health needs in disaster management plans, resolutions on the floor of provincial assemblies for including Sexual and Reproductive Health into health policies etc. Ihatsham is also member of several important networks such as Advocacy and Advisory Network for Newborns, White Ribbon Alliance Pakistan, Population Association of Pakistan (PAP), Pakistan Reproductive Health Network, Sexual and Reproductive Health Alliance, National Academic and Advocacy Alliance Pakistan, Partners Development Group for Nutrition besides being member of MNCH related technical working groups at provincial levels.
