KARACHI: Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala, WHO's Country Representative in Pakistan, visited the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Karachi (UoK).
Prof Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, Patron-in-Chief of the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences and Chairman of the Prime Minister's Task Force on Science and Technology, and Prof Dr M. Iqbal Choudhary, Director of the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences and General Coordinator of COMSTECH, welcomed the WHO officials to the international centre.
Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala also met with Prof Atta-ur-Rahman and Prof Iqbal Choudhary during his official visit.
Prof Iqbal Choudhary presented a detailed overview of the worldwide centre's significant research activity in the healthcare sector at the meeting.
Prof Atta-ur-Rahman and Prof Iqbal Choudhary requested that WHO Pakistan partner with ICCBS – University of Karachi on a variety of capacity building initiatives, including certificate and diploma programmes in patient safety, disaster management, one health, and healthcare financing.
Dr Mahipala expressed appreciation for the ICCBS administration's proposal and expressed an interest in collaborative work to cure and prevent Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.
It's worth noting here that cutaneous Leishmaniasis is the most frequent type of Leishmaniasis. It's caused by over 15 different species of the protozoan parasite Leishmania and is spread by infected female sandflies. Leishmaniasis has been identified as a severe public health problem in a number of nations throughout the world, including Pakistan, and has been linked to adverse economic and social consequences. The ICCBS and WHO have agreed to collaborate to hold a yearly interdisciplinary conference on Leishmaniasis.
The WHO representative lauded the centre's industrial support and national healthcare services. Dr Mahipala also praised the international institution for its crucial role in the national counter-COVID-19 campaign.