KARACHI: The Talloires Network and MacJannet Foundation, on Friday, announced the winners of the first annual MacJannet prize for global citizenship with Pakistan’s Aga Khan University (AKU) clinching the first prize with its innovative Urban Programme.

AKU’s Urban Programme focuses on providing primary health care and socio economic support to the katchi abadis (slums) in Karachi. The MacJannet prize for global citizenship recognises exceptional student civic engagement initiatives based in the Talloires Network member universities around the world and contributes financially to their ongoing public service efforts. Sixty-seven programs from 40 universities in 19 countries around the world competed for this year’s award.

The Urban Health Programme started in 1985 when medical training was limited to hospitals and public health efforts in communities received little attention in Pakistan.