Two Pakistani experts of mental health, Dr. Zainab F. Zadeh and Dr. Ayesha Mian, who are on the board of advisors of Kazim Trust, will be participating in an international annual conference on mental health to be held on 6th and 7th November. The conference being organized by CHADD, (Children, and Adults with Attention-deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder), an organization that was founded in 1987 in response to the frustration and sense of isolation experienced by parents and their children with ADHD. Co-organizers include ACO (ADHD Coaches Organization), a worldwide professional membership organization for ADHD coaches, and ADDA (The Attention Deficit Disorder Association). And for the first time an organization from Pakistan, Kazim Trust is among the sponsors.
It is of significance that 2 experts from Pakistan will be speakers at this international conference. Prof. Dr. Zainab F. Zadeh, a consultant clinical psychologist will be delivering her address on the topic of ‘Bullying and ADHD: Barriers and Challenges for Pakistani Parents’. The other speaker, Dr. Ayesha Mian’s topic is ‘ADHD and Pakistan – opportunities and challenges.’ Both speakers are highly qualified with vast experience in the field of clinical psychological and neurological health, having provided services to various international and local hospitals, universities, and other institutions in different capacities during the course of their careers.
Kazim Trust, which has made the participation of these 2 experts possible, is a non-profit organization established in 2008 in Karachi, with the mission of spreading awareness and creating treatment programs for children and adults facing Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Learning Difficulties (LD), Autism (ASD), & co-morbidities. It is completely self-financing and does not solicit any donations or funding.
According to an estimate, a significant percentage of Pakistan’s population is afflicted with ADHD issues on variable levels, with a majority of sufferers even being unaware of having this illness, which negatively impacts their personality and lifestyle. Further, the awareness that these illnesses are treatable is also missing. This is a cause for concern and even alarm, as the lack of awareness of these genetic disorders means that the illness can run into future generations. As such the work of all organizations in Pakistan and other countries to diagnose and treat the disorders is highly laudable.
