KARACHI: The Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN) and the Indus University of Health Sciences (IUHS) inaugurated the eighth biennial conference, ICON 2026, at the IHHN Korangi Campus, bringing together medical experts, researchers and academic leaders to discuss climate change, sustainable healthcare and patient-centered services.
Held under the theme “Resilient Care, Sustainable Future: Bridging Climate Action and Patient-Centered Healthcare,” the conference aims to promote academic, clinical and policy discussions on building sustainable and climate-resilient health systems.
Dr. Syed Ahmer Hamid, chairman of the ICON 2026 Organizing Committee, welcomed participants and highlighted the direct impact of climate change on healthcare infrastructure.
Referring to Karachi’s heatwaves, he stressed the need for people-centered, climate-resilient healthcare facilities and greater interdisciplinary cooperation.
In his patron’s message, Dr Abdul Bari Khan, president and CEO of IHHN, urged healthcare institutions to incorporate sustainability into their core strategies.
“We must work collectively to build an optimal health system that delivers free, high-quality healthcare facilities to all people,” he said.
Former federal minister and World Health Organization director Dr Zafar Mirza delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the need for health systems capable of withstanding environmental crises while protecting universal health coverage.
Professor Tariq Rafi, chairman of the Higher Education Commission Sindh, attended as chief guest and called for collaboration to reform healthcare systems, particularly through improvements to rural healthcare infrastructure.
Congratulating IHHN and Dr. Abdul Bari Khan on their efforts to provide free healthcare, Rafi said Pakistan had the potential to transform its health system and society, stressing the responsibility to improve people’s lives amid widespread poverty.
Abdul Karim Paracha, chairman of the IHHN Board of Directors, attended as guest of honor, while Dr. Syed Zafar Zaidi, dean of IUHS, delivered the vote of thanks.
ICON 2026 follows a year-long academic programme featuring more than 100 preconference workshops and symposia across Pakistan. The conference includes more than 50 scientific sessions, plenary panels and poster presentations.
Key topics include artificial intelligence in medicine, climate-resilient trauma care, living-donor organ transplantation and pediatric neuro-oncology.
International participants include Dr. Peter Schwartz, president of the International Diabetes Federation, and Dr. Naweed Imam Syed of the University of Calgary in Canada.
After the Karachi sessions, the conference will move to the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital campus in Muzaffargarh on Oct. 14. It will conclude at the Jubilee Town Campus in Lahore on Oct. 16-17.
