‘Pakistan needs to learn from developed Islamic countries’ experience in controlling diseases’

Except for a few genetic and metabolic disorders, around 70 per cent of both communicable and non-communicable diseases can be prevented with minor interventions, but, unfortunately, Pakistan is a gross failure in curbing both types of diseases, resulting in a serious social and economic burden for the nation.

“Pakistan is in the grip of both communicable as well as non-communicable diseases, which have largely been eradicated and controlled by our brethren Islamic countries like Turkey, Iran, Jordan, Malaysia and Indonesia by educating their people and practising minor interventions. We Pakistanis need to learn from the experiences of our brethren Islamic countries to become a disease-free nation like them,” observed Prof Dr Iqbal Chaudhry, director of ICCBS, University of Karachi, at a press conference on Monday.

In order to learn from the experiences of the developed Islamic countries in overcoming the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, an international conference titled ‘5th Science and Technology Exchange Program (STEP-5) on Health Challenges of Communicable Diseases and Non-Communicable Diseases’ would be jointly organised by Pakistan and Iran on Wednesday, February 27, at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), Prof Chaudhry announced.

Expected to be inaugurated by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah as well as Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, the conference would be the largest scientific event of the country, which would be attended by over 500 experts, including 100 foreign scientists from 40 countries of Europe, the Americas, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa and other parts of the world, he added.

Pakistan’s prominent research institution, Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD) of the ICCBS, is hosting the global science event in which 500 scientists, including 100 foreign eminent scientists from 40 countries, will likely to participate. Renowned Iranian Mustafa Science and Technology Foundation (MSTF) as a partner is playing a major role in organising this useful international national science event in Karachi.

Dr Farhan Essa, representing Pakistan Medical Association, also spoke. Dr Farah Essa, Saima Yousufi from Searle, Dr Shariq from Herbion, and Anas Niaz from Bionik also attended the press conference.

Prof Iqbal Choudhary said that the conference aimed to bring together leading experts in the field of biomedical and medical sciences and health care manager. He maintained that the objectives would be to raise the status of the Islamic world’s scientists through capacity building and the creation of a network for the common benefit of humanity. The four-day event will focus on the theme of “Challenges of Communicable - and Non- Communicable Diseases”, he said.

He said that the opening ceremony of the conference would be held on Wednesday at 10am at the Prof Salimuzzaman Siddiqui Auditorium, ICCBS.

He pointed out that the meeting would provide a scientific platform for scholars, institutions, and industries for the interactive exchange of state-of-the-art knowledge, and for technology transfer. The event would focus on the current understanding of the disease process, prevention and diagnosis, and drug discovery and development, he added.

Prof Iqbal Choudhary said that the qualified papers and posters would also be presented and assessed by eminent scientists during the program, and the selected ones would be awarded with prizes and shields.

The program would consist of plenary lectures, session lectures and poster presentations, he said, adding that each session would address a theme topic within the area of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Special events would also be arranged to ensure lively interactions between scientists and students of health care sciences, he said.

To a query, he said that around 100 experts from 40 countries, including Iran, Lebanon, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Finland, Jordon, USA, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and Sweden, would be attending the event.

He said that the last 4th STEP conference was held in Oman, and 3rd and 1st STEP conferences were held in Iran. The 2nd conference was organised in Malaysia.

Dr Farhan Essa regretted that communicable infectious diseases contributed considerably both to grown-up and adolescent mortality and morbidity in Pakistan. He said that hepatitis B and C, chikungunya and other communicable diseases were on the rise.