Islamabad, 28 February 2023 (GNP): A 3-day International Workshop on Leishmaniasis was held from February 23–25, 2023, at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. The title of workshop was, “Identification of New Lead Compounds and Diagnostic Tools for Leishmaniasis: Concepts, Approaches, and Capacity Building.”
It was done in cooperation with COMSTECH, The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) network, Durham University, UK, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, and University of Nairobi.
Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, the Coordinator General of COMSTECH, noted that a high prevalence of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis cases in tropical regions of Africa and Asia highlights the need to find potential drugs from our abundant traditional medicine and natural resources rather than pricy imported medicine.
Also Read: Ahsan Iqbal promised internships to Youth
More than 97 nations, including Pakistan and Kenya, are affected by leishmaniasis, a vector-borne illness. Leishmaniasis infections are increasing worldwide, but especially in the African continent. This is a serious health issue that has to be handled right now. As there is currently no vaccine to treat leishmaniasis, developing our capacity to find novel therapeutic leads is crucial.
In International Workshop on Leishmaniasis 50 participants, including resource people from the UK, Argentina, Uruguay, and Pakistan, came from 12 nations, including Kenya, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
The involvement of COMSTECH and NTD-Network UK in promoting science and technology in the Afro-Asian area was well-received by the attendees. The event’s Guest of Honor was Honorable Syeda Saqlain, the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Kenya.