KARACHI: Prof Zulfiqar Bhutta of the Aga Khan University (AKU) has been awarded the 2021 Roux Prize for turning evidence into health impact.

According to a press release issued here on Wednesday, Prof Bhutta’s work has made an integral contribution to global policy to improve maternal, foetal and newborn health.

He is the founding director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health and the Institute for Global Health and Development at AKU, and co-director of the SickKids Centre for Global Child Health.

The Roux Prize is administered by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington and is funded by founding board member David Roux and his wife, Barbara. Launched in 2013, it is the world’s largest award for evidence-based public health achievement and has drawn nominations from across the world.

“Professor Bhutta has had a tremendous impact on maternal and child health, as a researcher and a leader,” said Mr and Mrs Roux. “We are thrilled to honour his incredible work and commitment to reducing health inequities.”

“Dr Bhutta is a powerhouse of knowledge,” said Dr Adil Haider, dean of the AKU medical college. “His contribution to the field of medicine and research as a whole is invaluable, with his exceptional work having phenomenal impact not just at the AKU, but across Pakistan and truly around the globe.”

His work has focused on newborn and child survival and undernutrition, with a particular emphasis on reducing health disparities and reaching underserved populations, including healthcare in conflict settings and humanitarian emergencies.

He has played a crucial role in developing global consensus on interventions to address undernutrition in mothers and children, with publications that have informed World Health Organization (WHO) policy and global funding priorities.