Aziz Alikhan

Pakistani social entrepreneur who transformed rural healthcare access

Early Life & Vision

Aziz Alikhan (1908-1978) witnessed the 1918 flu pandemic's devastation in rural Punjab. He pioneered the Healthcare on Wheels concept using modified bullock carts as mobile clinics. His UNICEF-collaborated model reached over 1 million people in Pakistan's most remote areas by 1950.

Innovative Models

• Developed the first WHO-approved vaccination protocol for nomadic communities
• Created the Community Health Volunteers program training local women as healthcare workers
• Established Pakistan's first telemedicine system using radio in 1965

Global Impact

Alikhan's work inspired India's National Health Mission and inspired the mHealth Alliance. His Health for All manifesto (1968) predated the WHO's 1978 declaration by a decade. Modern NGOs like MSF use his mobile clinic designs in conflict zones.

Legacy

The Aziz Alikhan Rural Health Trust operates 80 clinics across South Asia. His Healthcare Without Borders concept remains a cornerstone of WHO's health systems framework. Pakistan's National Health Awards now include the Alikhan Prize for Innovation.