Objective: To support a national initiative to remove sugary drinks from schools and limit drinks to water or unflavoured milk ('water-only'). Methods:We emailed all 201 schools with primary school aged children in the Greater Wellington region with a survey on (1) current status of, (2) support needs for, and (3) barriers to or lessons learned from, a 'water-only' school policy. Results:Only 78 (39%) of schools responded. Most supported 'water-only': 22 (28%) had implemented a policy; 10 (13%) in process of doing so; 22 (28%) were considering it; and 12 (15%) were 'water-only' , but did not have a policy. Only 12 (15%) were not considering a 'wateronly' policy. The main barrier reported was lack of community and/or family support. Many schools did not see any barriers beyond the time needed for consultation. Monitoring and communication were identified as key to success. A quarter of schools requested public health nurse support for a 'water-only' policy. Conclusions:The survey elicited a range of views on 'water-only' policies for schools, but suggests that 'water-only' may be an emerging norm for schools.Implications for public health: Our survey shows how local assessment can support a national initiative by providing a baseline, identifying schools that want support, and sharing lessons. Making schools 'water-only' could be a first step in changing our children's environment to prevent obesity.

Objective:Aga Khan University, a private medical college, had a vision of producing physicians who are not only scientifically competent, but also socially sensitive, the latter by exposure of medical students to a broad-based curriculum. The objective of this study was to identify the genesis of broad-based education and its integration into the undergraduate medical education program as the Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) course.Methods:A qualitative methodology was used for this study. Sources of data included document review and in-depth key informant interviews. Nvivo software was utilized to extract themes.Results:The study revealed the process of operationalization of the institutional vision to produce competent and culturally sensitive physicians. The delay in the establishment of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, which was expected to take a lead role in the delivery of a broad-based education, led to the development of an innovative HASS course in the medical curriculum. The study also identified availability of faculty and resistance from students as challenges faced in the implementation and evolution of HASS.Conclusions:The description of the journey and viability of integration of HASS into the medical curriculum offers a model to medical colleges seeking ways to produce socially sensitive physicians.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of humanities and social sciences curriculum in an undergraduate medical education programme. Methods: The qualitative study was conducted from May 2016 to May 2017 at a private medical college in Karachi where humanities and social sciences subject is an art of the undergraduate curriculum as a 6-week module at the start of Year 1 of the five-year programme. Focus group discussions were held with students from all the five years as well as with faculty related to humanities and social sciences, basic sciences and their clinical counterparts. The views of alumni of the undergraduate programme who are now members of the faculty at the institution were also explored and semi-structured interviews were conducted with institutional academic leaders. MAXQDA software was used to identify the themes for analysis. Results: Of the 50 participants, 27(54%) were students, 21(42%) were faculty members and 2(4%) were academic leaders. From the 11 sub-themes, 5 themes were identified: Expectations, Strengths, Challenges, Way forward, and Institutional role and responsibility. Faculty members perceived humanities and social sciences as encouraging creative and critical thinking, boosting students' confidence and positively impacting their behaviour. Student perception seemed to change as they progressed through the years and they appreciated its impact at different stages. Conclusion: The existing humanities and social sciences curriculum can be further strengthened by integrating contents throughout the five-year programme and continuing it as a longitudinal theme rather than limiting it to a one-time exposure at the start of the programme.

Context The importance of humanities and social sciences (HASS) in the development of empathetic and effective health professionals is well-documented in literature. 1 However, in Pakistan it is not part of the discourse on health education. The evergrowing emphasis on social determinants of health requires an understanding of society that is best provided by the diverse disciplines within the ambit of HASS. To introduce the relevance of teaching HASS in health professions' education, a peerreviewed workshop was conducted in the joint Association for Excellence in Medical Education (AEME) 2013 Conference and 16 th Aga Khan University (AKU) National Symposium.