11th annual conference on infectious diseases held in capital
Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan Director AQ Javed Iqbal has said that in Pakistan, public health has always been a challenge.
While addressing the participants of 11th Annual Conference on Infectious Diseases organised by Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Society of Pakistan (MMIDSP) Saturday, Iqbal said, “We have to clearly understand our endemic infectious diseases and formulate our own health needs. No other factor in disease control is more important than awareness, followed by intervention.”
A large number of health professionals attended the two-day conference. A number of scientific and technical sessions were held during the conference.
This big gathering of microbiologists, infectious disease experts, scientists, and young researchers will help to share vital statistics on infectious disease. Iqbal lauded the role of MMIDSP for taking the initiative of Antibiotic Stewardship Initiative in Pakistan (ASIP).He said this was a timely and great service. On behalf of the government of Pakistan, he assured that the health ministry would be supportive and deliberate on suggestions provided by the experts.
MMIDSP President Dr Ejaz Khan, consultant paediatrician ShifaInternationalHospital, welcomed the participants and said that the issue of global challenge of antibiotic resistance was monumental, with almost all countries and regions being affected, including Pakistan.
“We know very well that ‘antibiotic misuse and overuse’ have contributed tremendously to a major health crisis within Pakistan. Antimicrobial stewardship aims to improve appropriate prescription of antibiotics in all healthcare settings. MMIDSP plans to address ASP at both institutional and community levels by launching an ASIP at this conference by inviting all stakeholders.
The pre-conference four workshops included antibiotic stewardship, paediatric tuberculosis, infection control and scientific manuscript writing. These workshops were a resounding success with more than 300 participants. Moderators and experts conducted these workshops with active participation from the enthusiastic audience.
The participating speakers for the conference were Dr Altaf Ahmed, Consultant Microbiologist at Indus Hospital Karachi and past president MMIDSP, Dr Babar Cheema, Pulmonologist and Infectious Disease expert MilitaryHospital, Rawalpindi, Dr Ejaz Qadeer, Manager National TB Program, Dr Amjad, National TB Program, and Dr Afia Zafar, Consultant Microbiologist at Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi. Sessions with free papers on antimicrobials & resistance, tuberculosis, molecular biology and emerging infections were conducted with more than 500 participants.
