Sania Nishtar strongly believes, both, in using health for peace building in foreign policy as well as using foreign policy as a tool for peace in order to improve health outcomes. Her views on the subject can be summarized in one of her messages related to the subject. She is active in her capacity as the chair of the Health Committee of the bilateral India-Pakistan peace initiative, Aman Ki Asha, a bilateral non-governmental campaign that advocates peace between India and Pakistan. It aims to create an enabling environment for peace and reconciliation by facilitating dialogue and by encouraging people-to-people interaction at all levels. The initiative identified six sectors as having the greatest potential for collaboration—health being one of them.
In her capacity as Chair of the Health Committee in Pakistan, Sania Nishtar has collaborated actively with her with her Indian counterpart, Dr. Naresh Trehan in order to provide a convening space for health stakeholders from both sides. In this respect, they have co-hosted the First and Second Health Forums in Delhi and in Lahore in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Both the meetings concluded with statements, which can be accessed—the Delhi Statement, and the Lahore Statement. An event was also organized by her and Dr Trehan in collaboration with the World Economic Forum during the World Economic Forum India Summit in Delhi in November 2012.
Sania Nishtar has been invited on several occasions to speak on the subject of the intersection of peace with health. Recent talks on this subject include a talk at the US Institute for Peace in Washington in June 2011 and the 20th IPPNW World Congress, which was held in Hiroshima.
Media coverage and images from the Aman Ki Asha Health forums
Sania Nishtar was an invited speaker at the US Institute for Peace in Washington in June 2011.