Abaseen Foundation (often working in collaboration with the University of Central Lancashire) has conducted numerous research projects, concentrating mainly around the area of health and nutrition. The results of this research have influenced how the lives of people in this area can be improved, with important implications for other areas of Pakistan and other developing countries.
Abaseen Foundation has a strong commitment to embedding research, wherever possible, within its activities. Our guiding principle is that all the research we undertake must be in response to the needs identified by the local communities, through the Jirga. We endeavour to engage with community members throughout the research process to provide valued input into the design, management and delivery of our projects.
Research is important for a number of reasons. Research provides
• data to help us evaluate the impact of our activities
• an opportunity for capacity building and providing training for our staff employed on the projects
• an opportunity to disseminate through academic publications what we have learned through our projects that may benefit others working in similar environments
• strengthened connections with local academic institutions and hospitals, such as Khyber Medical University and Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar
Since 2007, Abaseen Foundation has undertaken several research projects in collaboration with researchers based in both UK and Pakistan universities and hospitals, including the University of Central Lancashire, Nottingham University, Khyber Medical University, University of Northumbria, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Preston Royal Hospital and Lady Reading Hopsital. We have also collaborated with researchers in the USA at Johns Hopkins University and the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute.
Examples of our Research Projects:
1. Comparative studies of diet and bone health in South Asian women in the UK and Pakistan.
This was the first collaborative research study that we conducted between Abaseen Foundation and UCLan, and was based at Nahaqi Hospital. The research was designed to examine the relationship between diet, vitamin D status, and bone health in postmenopausal women living in the community served by the Nahaqi Hospital, compared to women of Pakistani origin living in Blackburn, UK.